Andreas Mundt, the head of Germany’s cartel office, has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) may further the dominance of Big Tech firms.

Alphabet-owned Google and Microsoft have emerged as major forces in the nascent generative AI (GenAI) space, while others like Meta and Apple also gearing up to enter the space.

Speaking to Reuters, the German Mundt reiterated concerns from regulators across the continent that Big Tech players will be able to lean on their large data sets to gain a competitive advantage in the AI space.

He said: "For us as a competition authority, it is crucial that this new technology does not further strengthen the dominance of the large corporations.”

European Union regulators are set to adopt landmark AI rules by the end of the year, while world leaders will next month meet at the UK’s historic Bletchley Park for a first-of-its-kind summit on AI.

Mundt added: “The danger is very great because you need two things above all for AI, powerful servers and vast amounts of data. Big internet corporations have both.

"However, models from smaller providers could also become so popular that they develop in the direction of a kind of operating system, a new platform. Both developments are possible, and as an authority we have to be careful that any competitive potential is not buried from the outset."

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