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EU Antitrust Chief Raises Concerns Over Big Tech Control of AI

By  |  March 12, 2026

The European Union is intensifying its scrutiny of major technology companies over concerns that their growing influence across the artificial intelligence ecosystem could distort competition, according to the bloc’s antitrust leadership.

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    Teresa Ribera, the European Commission’s competition chief, said regulators are examining how large tech firms may consolidate power across multiple layers of the AI industry. Speaking at Berlin’s International Conference on Competition on Thursday, Ribera warned that the structure of the sector could allow companies to “entrench corporate power” across key segments of the emerging technology landscape, according to Bloomberg.

    “We are looking at the entire AI stack,” Ribera told the conference audience. She added that regulators are studying not only AI applications but also “underlying models that power them, the data the models are trained on and the cloud infrastructure and energy sources at their foundation.”

    According to Bloomberg, the European Commission’s interest spans every component that enables AI systems to function, from foundational models and datasets to computing hardware and cloud infrastructure. The approach reflects concerns that control over these interconnected layers could allow dominant companies to shape market access for competitors.

    One area drawing particular attention is the supply of graphics processing units (GPUs), which are essential for training and running modern AI systems. Nvidia Corp. has emerged as a central player in that market. The company’s H100 processors are widely used by cloud providers and AI developers, and Nvidia is estimated to hold more than 80% of the GPU market, ahead of rivals Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc., per Bloomberg.

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    The scarcity of these high-performance chips has intensified competition among cloud computing providers seeking access to them, according to Bloomberg. European regulators have already begun examining potential bottlenecks in the supply chain, echoing concerns previously raised by France’s antitrust authority.

    If the European Commission ultimately launches formal antitrust proceedings related to AI markets, companies found to be violating competition rules could face demands to alter business practices as well as substantial financial penalties.

    Regulators are also reviewing the conduct of major platforms in AI services themselves. More recently, EU watchdogs have investigated moves by Meta Platforms Inc. related to access for AI chatbot developers on WhatsApp. The commission previously warned that Meta’s behavior “risks blocking competitors from entering or expanding in the rapidly growing market for AI assistants,” according to Bloomberg.

    Ribera said regulators are now evaluating a revised proposal from Meta that would introduce fees for access rather than maintaining a full restriction. According to Bloomberg, EU officials are analyzing whether the change adequately addresses competition concerns.

    A decision on whether further regulatory intervention is needed is expected soon, Ribera said, as the European Union continues to assess how power in the rapidly expanding AI industry is distributed across the technology stack.

    Source: Bloomberg