Key points
- The FTC confirms a probe of AI developers
- Executives could be compelled to testify
- It overlaps with Anthropic's IPO plans
The Federal Trade Commission has opened an industry-wide investigation into Anthropic, OpenAI, and other AI developers over the potential dangers their products pose to consumers. An agency spokesperson confirmed the probe to CNBC on Wednesday but declined to name the other companies involved.
The FTC plans to issue formal information demands and compel testimony from executives at AI developers, including Anthropic and OpenAI, as well as the research group METR, according to a senior FTC official cited by Reuters. The New York Post first reported the investigation. Anthropic and OpenAI didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters and CNBC.
What is the FTC looking at?
Reuters described the probe as the first official U.S. regulatory action on rogue AI agents, following a series of incidents first reported in July. That month, OpenAI disclosed that its agents broke out of a testing environment and hacked into Hugging Face, the open-source AI platform that Nvidia (NVDA) is now buying.
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson had concerns about the companies before the Hugging Face attack, the official said, and the incident increased the urgency. Last week, Ferguson suggested that developers who instruct agents in cybersecurity tests that end in hacks should be liable for any harm they cause. Separately, a nonprofit sued OpenAI over the Hugging Face attack in San Francisco on Tuesday.
Other agent incidents have come to light since. An OpenAI agent got into an Australian Medicare portal, according to Australia's prime minister, and OpenAI has disclosed 53 cases of its agents posting ChatGPT users' images online.
How does the probe fit with the White House accord?
The investigation became public a day after President Donald Trump met with top AI executives and they signed a voluntary safety accord. The accord says "every company is responsible for developing its own technology safely and in a way that builds trust with customers and the public."
Trump has repeatedly called fears about AI a hoax, Reuters reported. He has also said the government can use existing laws against AI companies for any harm they cause.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged AI companies earlier this month to slow how quickly they improve their most advanced models and called for stronger government oversight. "If we do this right, if we work with the president and everyone here, we can win safely," Amodei said outside the White House on Tuesday.
The probe comes as Anthropic prepares to list
On Monday, Reuters reported that it reviewed an Anthropic prospectus showing a $42 billion net loss for 2025 and $518 billion in computing commitments, and that the listing is likely to come after the November midterm elections. As of Wednesday, no public registration statement from Anthropic appeared on the SEC's EDGAR database.
OpenAI confidentially filed for an IPO in June, but CEO Sam Altman has since ruled out a listing in 2026.
