Antitrust Trial Reveals Google Rejected OpenAI Partnership

Last summer, OpenAI approached Google about a partnership to power ChatGPT, but it got turned down.

That information came to light Tuesday (April 22) during testimony by Nick Turley, OpenAI’s head of product for ChatGPT, during the remedy phase of the Department of Justice (DOJ) antitrust trial against Google in Washington.

According to Reuters, Turley told the court that OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, was experiencing issues with its existing search provider. According to reports by Reuters and Yahoo, that’s Microsoft Bing. Turley stated that ChatGPT was years away from being able to answer most queries using its own search technology, reports said.

OpenAI reportedly contacted Google about an application programming interface (API) integration that would improve ChatGPT’s ability to deliver accurate and up-to-date answers. Google declined the request in August, Turley said. An email from Google presented in court revealed the reason was that an integration would involve too many competitors, according to reports.

The suit by the DOJ and a coalition of state attorneys general could lead to a possible breakup of Google’s core businesses.

According to reports, prosecutors said in opening statements Monday that a search monopoly could give the company an unfair advantages in artificial intelligence (AI), and that its AI products would funnel users to its search engine.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled in August that Google illegally maintained a monopoly in online search through exclusive agreements with Samsung to make Google the default search engine.

Reports say that evidence presented in court showed Google had considered exclusive deals with Android phone manufacturers for not only its search app, but also its Gemini AI app and Chrome browser. Ultimately, Google shifted to less restrictive agreements, allowing device makers and carriers to install other search and AI offerings.

The Big Tech firm has argued that this non-exclusive stance sufficiently addresses Mehta’s ruling. However, reports say, the DOJ is pushing for an outright ban on Google making lucrative payments in exchange for installation of its search app.

According to reports, Google executive Peter Fitzgerald testified on Tuesday that its agreements do not prohibit mobile device companies from installing other AI products on new devices.

A Yahoo report stated that OpenAI is interested in acquiring Chrome if parent company Alphabet is ordered to sell the web browser. Google has not offered Chrome for sale.

Google, which is likely to appeal a breakup order, maintains it already has robust competition — specifically naming Meta Platforms and Microsoft, according to reports.