Antitrust Similarities and Differences Between Browser Competition and AI Competition

In both the 1990s browser competition and today’s generative AI competition, there was a first-mover disruption by an upstart (Netscape, OpenAI), which prompted an aggressive “code red” response by large incumbents (Microsoft, Google) that leveraged their wide product distribution channels. However, at least three notable differences in the competitive dynamics warrant continued attention from antitrust regulators and practitioners. First, AI carries a positive marginal cost per use, unlik