G7 competition summit in Rome: Policymakers and competition authorities adopt statement on artificial intelligence

Today, at the end of the two-day G7 competition summit in Rome, representatives of the G7 member states (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, USA) and the European Commission adopted a joint statement on competition concerns raised by artificial intelligence (AI).

Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt: “Competition authorities and policymakers are observing the field of AI very closely. As a key technology AI has enormous potential waiting to be realised. However, the risks AI poses to competition and other areas, such as in relation to intellectual property, consumer protection and data protection, cannot be ignored. As competition problems can increase exponentially in these contexts, we share information and experience on AI both across countries and across disciplines.”

The G7 competition summit and related activities allow competition authorities and policymakers to continue the established G7 practice of sharing knowledge and experience on competition issues in the digital economy. In this context artificial intelligence has been playing an increasingly important role, a fact which is clearly reflected in the statement adopted today.

The joint statement first describes the relevant market conditions in the AI sector and points out potential risks to competition. These risks include
- the concentration of crucial AI inputs by a few powerful suppliers, some of which are already active at several market levels,
- possibilities for extending market power into adjacent markets,
- cooperation projects between Big Tech and smaller AI firms, which could weaken competition.

The statement outlines a set of guiding principles to help ensure that societies can reap the benefits of AI. These include fair competition, open access to markets and sufficient choice options. In this context the statement illustrates the important role of competition authorities and policymakers as well as the importance of international and interdisciplinary exchange.

At the G7 competition summit the participants shared their experiences as competition enforcers and discussed competition policy and regulatory issues.

The discussion was based on a paper prepared by the participating authorities in a joint working group. Furthermore, the OECD prepared a contribution on competition policy in digital markets, which is based on previous publications in the G7 context (see press release of 8 November 2023) and provides an overview of the application and joint effect of different regulatory and competition law instruments.