The FTC sends civil investigative demands to Anthropic and OpenAI over safety incidents, two weeks after confirming its probe, CBS News reports
An FTC spokesperson confirmed the action. According to Axios, the agency wants documents on safety incidents, privacy policies and safeguards, and Reuters says it plans to compel executives to testify.
Why it matters: The FTC has moved from confirming an inquiry to compelling documents from the two leading US labs, so their safety incidents are now evidence in a consumer-protection case rather than only blog posts. Whatever the labs hand over could shape the first federal enforcement theory for AI safety failures.
The Federal Trade Commission has sent formal demands to Anthropic and OpenAI in its consumer-protection investigation into AI safety, CBS News reported on 15 October. CBS says a spokesperson for the agency confirmed it, and that the news was first reported by Axios.
CBS's headline calls the documents subpoenas. Its body says the FTC “sent civil investigative demands to Anthropic and OpenAI on Wednesday”, which was 14 October. Citing Axios, CBS says the agency “will also issue subpoenas to third-party organizations at a later date” and is seeking documents on safety incidents, privacy policies and safeguards at the two companies. The agency declined further comment about the probe.
Reuters, in a story carried by The Globe and Mail, adds that the FTC also plans to compel executives at top AI developers, including Anthropic, OpenAI and the research group METR, to testify. Reuters says the FTC, OpenAI and Anthropic “did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the Axios report.”
This is a step on from 30 September, when the FTC confirmed it was investigating OpenAI, Anthropic and other AI companies over risks to consumers; the Switchboard ran that on 1 October. It also follows the EU AI Office's first AI Act information requests over the same companies' test incidents, reported on 15 October.
The FTC's own press-release page lists nothing on the demands through 15 October, so the details here come from the press. A civil investigative demand is a request for documents and answers, not an accusation: no wrongdoing has been alleged.
- Reported CBS News says the FTC “sent civil investigative demands to Anthropic and OpenAI on Wednesday”, and that a spokesperson for the agency confirmed it. CBS News
- Reported Citing Axios, which CBS says reported it first, the FTC is seeking documents on safety incidents, privacy policies and safeguards, and will issue subpoenas to third-party organisations later. CBS News
- Reported Reuters says the FTC also plans to compel executives at top AI developers, including Anthropic, OpenAI and the research group METR, to testify. Reuters, via The Globe and Mail
- Confirmed The FTC's press-release page lists no release on the demands through 15 October. FTC
Courts & policySafety, security & governance
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