FTC opens consumer-safety probe of OpenAI and Anthropic

The FTC has opened a consumer-protection investigation into OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI companies, examining whether their systems could harm users and whether the companies’ conduct may violate rules against unfair or deceptive practices. The agency is expected to seek detailed information and may use civil investigative demands—its subpoena-like tool—to require executive testimony; it also plans to seek information from METR, an independent group that evaluates advanced AI systems. The inquiry is not a finding of wrongdoing, but it turns the broad argument over AI safety into a practical legal question: when systems are designed to take actions rather than just generate answers, who is accountable if they hurt consumers?