US agencies are scrutinizing AI partnerships and hiring deals that may sidestep merger filings, amid worries about competition and sensitive tech moving overseas.
In short: US regulators are increasing scrutiny of AI-related deals that look like acquisitions but may be structured to avoid normal merger review.
US agencies including the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) are looking more closely at how big tech companies make AI deals. The concern is that some arrangements may act like a buyout even if they are not called one.
A key focus is what some regulators describe as “pseudo-mergers.” These are deals where a large company hires the leaders of an AI startup and licenses the startup’s intellectual property, or IP (its protected ideas, like the recipe for a product). The worry is that this can shift control of important technology without triggering Hart-Scott-Rodino rules, or HSR (the US paperwork system that can require companies to notify the government before certain mergers).
Regulators in the UK are also involved, through the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Officials are examining whether these deals could reduce competition, for example by locking up scarce computing power needed to build AI systems (like reserving most of the ovens in town so others cannot bake).
Lawmakers are also pressing for action. In early February 2026, senators led by Elizabeth Warren urged the FTC to examine AI-related technology deals for possible antitrust violations.
This scrutiny is also tied to national security concerns about valuable AI know-how moving overseas through acquisitions, hiring, or licensing. The Financial Times points to rising concern after Anthropic accused Chinese firms of creating thousands of fake accounts to copy features from its Claude system, a practice often called “distillation” (learning a model’s behavior by repeatedly testing it).
No major AI deals have been blocked as of early 2026. Still, companies may face more investigations, lawsuits, and pressure to structure deals in ways regulators can review.
Source: Financial Times
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