The UK’s regulatory action against Google is one of the first major attempts by any country to proactively shape a fairer future for artificial intelligence. By explicitly including Google’s AI Overview and AI mode in its “strategic market status” designation, the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) is tackling the AI question head-on.
The central concern is that the same dynamics that led to Google’s dominance in traditional search could be replicated in the AI era, but with even greater consequences. AI-powered “answer engines” could become the ultimate gatekeepers of information, potentially decimating the open web by providing summaries that remove the need to visit original sources.
The CMA is trying to get ahead of this problem. Its proposal to give publishers more control over their content is a direct attempt to ensure that the creators of the information used to train and run these AI models are treated fairly. This could set a crucial global precedent for how AI companies must interact with the content ecosystem.
Furthermore, by suggesting that AI rivals like Perplexity and ChatGPT could appear on “choice screens,” the regulator is trying to foster competition in the AI search market before it is even fully formed. This is a clear signal that it wants to prevent a single player from dominating the next generation of information discovery.
This is a pivotal moment. The rules the UK sets for Google’s AI could influence how AI develops globally, addressing critical questions about intellectual property, competition, and the future of the internet in an AI-driven world.