Business | Schumpeter

Is artificial intelligence making big tech too big?

Previous scares have been overblown. This one might not be

Illustration: Brett Ryder

When ChatGPT took everyone by storm in November 2022, it was OpenAI, the startup behind it, that seized the business world’s attention. But, as usual, big tech is back on the front foot. Nvidia, maker of accelerator chips that are at the core of generative artificial intelligence (AI), is duelling with Microsoft, a tech giant of longer standing, to be the world’s most valuable company. Like Microsoft, it is investing in a diverse ecosystem of startups that it hopes will strengthen its lead. Predictably, given the “techlash” mindset of the regulatory authorities, both firms are high on the watch list of antitrust agencies.

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This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Overreachers v overlords”

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From the June 29th 2024 edition

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