The U.S. authorities desires to show that Google’s opponents face overwhelming obstacles to entry as a part of its antitrust case towards the tech large. So it’s turning to ChaptGPT’s head of product, Nick Turley, to testify as a witness in hopes he’ll assist fortify its case.
In a landmark ruling final August, a courtroom decided that Google holds a monopoly in search. Whereas Google appeals this choice, the Division of Justice is now asking the courtroom to determine what penalties it ought to face, resembling spinning off Chrome or a 10-year ban on releasing any browser product.
To bolster its case, the DOJ has pulled in numerous Google opponents like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Perplexity. It desires particular executives, like Perplexity’s Chief Enterprise Officer Dmitry Shevelenko, to testify. (It’s not clear but whether or not Shevelenko will achieve this. Perplexity didn’t reply instantly to a request for remark.)
Current authorized filings verify {that a} prime govt from OpenAI, Nick Turley, head of product for ChatGPT, will testify as a witness for the U.S. authorities’s case.
“Mr. Turley is a witness handpicked by Plaintiffs [the DOJ] to testify on OpenAI’s behalf,” Google’s legal professionals wrote in a January 16 authorized submitting.
“Mr. Turley is the OpenAI witness who will testify on behalf of the federal government on the Evidentiary Listening to,” one other submitting from January 16 reads.
Not one of the filings specify precisely when Turley will testify. Turley is predicted to be requested by the U.S. about “generative AI’s relationship with Search Entry Factors, distribution, obstacles to entry and growth, and knowledge sharing,” per the submitting. The DOJ hasn’t offered particulars about what it desires to ask Turley. (These are the very same subjects it desires to ask Perplexity’s CBO about.)
The DOJ makes use of the time period “search entry factors” to seek advice from merchandise like Google Chrome that folks use to look the net. Notably, in October 2024, ChatGPT launched its personal AI search browser.
To organize itself for Turley’s testimony, Google has subpoenaed OpenAI for paperwork associated to the case. However the two corporations are actually in a heated dispute over the extent of proof OpenAI ought to present.
In a authorized submitting on January 16, Google criticized OpenAI for producing “stunningly few paperwork.” OpenAI’s legal professionals fired again, noting that Google’s calls for for paperwork from prime executives like CEO Sam Altman seem like a “Malicious program supposed to harass OpenAI executives.”
OpenAI has agreed to share some paperwork from Turley’s work information about OpenAI’s technique on AI merchandise, its integration of AI into search-related merchandise, and its Microsoft partnership, a letter from OpenAI’s legal professionals reveals.
Google says it wants extra paperwork from extra executives, as relying totally on Turley “would prejudice Google” since Turley is a witness “handpicked” by the U.S. authorities, based on the submitting.
Google additionally desires paperwork from OpenAI that predate the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, claiming these “might undermine Mr. Turley’s testimony concerning obstacles to entry in a approach that post-launch paperwork wouldn’t.” However OpenAI says paperwork that outdated “can’t meaningfully characterize” the present AI panorama.
Each side seem at an deadlock and OpenAI has requested the courtroom reject the complete scope of Google’s requested proof.
OpenAI and Google didn’t reply to requests for remark. The DOJ declined to remark.
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