LONDON – In a fresh wave of antitrust scrutiny, Google finds itself under the investigative lens of the European Union. On Tuesday, EU regulators launched a probe into how the tech giant utilizes online content for its artificial intelligence models and services.

The European Commission, which serves as the chief antitrust authority for the 27-member bloc, is delving into whether Google has violated competition laws. The focus of the investigation is on Google’s use of content from web publishers and materials uploaded to YouTube for AI-related activities.

Central to the regulators’ concerns is the possibility that Google has gained an unfair edge by leveraging content for its AI Overviews and AI Mode search services without compensating publishers or providing them an option to opt out. AI Overviews are designed to automatically generate concise summaries that appear at the top of traditional search results, while AI Mode delivers responses in a chatbot-like format.

The investigation also seeks to determine if Google employs videos from YouTube in training its generative AI models under similar conditions, potentially sidelining rival developers of AI models.

In response, Google issued a statement expressing concerns that “this complaint risks stifling innovation in a market that is more competitive than ever.” The company emphasized that “Europeans deserve to benefit from the latest technologies,” pledging continued collaboration with the news and creative sectors as they navigate the transition into the AI era.

The Commission, which is the bloc’s executive arm, is carrying out the investigation under the EU’s longstanding competition regulations, rather than its newer Digital Markets Act that was was drawn up to prevent Big Tech companies from monopolizing online markets.

“AI is bringing remarkable innovation and many benefits for people and businesses across Europe, but this progress cannot come at the expense of the principles at the heart of our societies,” Teresa Ribera, the commission’s vice president overseeing competition affairs, said in a statement.

“This is why we are investigating whether Google may have imposed unfair terms and conditions on publishers and content creators, while placing rival AI models developers at a disadvantage, in breach of EU competition rules.”

Brussels has no deadline to wrap up the case, which could result in sanctions including a fine worth up to 10% of the company’s annual global revenue.