The US government is ramping up its antitrust case against Google by calling Nick Turley, ChatGPT’s head of product, to testify as a key witness. The Department of Justice (DOJ) seeks to prove that Google’s dominance in the search industry creates significant barriers for competitors, making it nearly impossible for rivals to succeed.
Google’s monopoly under scrutiny
In a pivotal ruling last August, the court declared that Google holds a monopoly in online search. While Google has appealed the ruling, the DOJ is now pushing for penalties. Proposed measures include forcing Google to spin off its Chrome browser or imposing a decade-long ban on launching new browser products.
To strengthen its case, the DOJ has enlisted executives from competing tech companies, such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Perplexity AI. Among them, Nick Turley from OpenAI is confirmed to testify. Legal filings on January 16 revealed that the DOJ specifically chose Turley to represent OpenAI and provide insights into the competitive landscape of the search industry.
Turley’s testimony and Google’s response
Turley is expected to address key issues such as generative AI’s role in search, barriers to market entry, data-sharing practices, and the integration of search access points like Google Chrome. These topics are central to the DOJ’s case, as they aim to illustrate the hurdles competitors face in challenging Google’s stronghold.
Google, however, is pushing back by requesting more evidence from OpenAI. The tech giant has subpoenaed documents from Turley and other top OpenAI executives, including CEO Sam Altman, to prepare for Turley’s testimony. According to Google, relying solely on Turley’s perspective would create an imbalance in the case.
In its filings, Google criticised OpenAI for providing “stunningly few documents” in response to subpoenas. Meanwhile, OpenAI has accused Google of using the document requests as a “Trojan horse” to harass its executives.
A clash over evidence
The dispute between Google and OpenAI has now escalated into a standoff over the extent of information OpenAI should disclose. OpenAI has agreed to provide documents related to Turley’s role, including his work on AI product strategies, search integration, and OpenAI’s partnership with Microsoft. However, it has refused to comply with Google’s broader demands for older records.
Google argues that documents before ChatGPT’s launch in November 2022 are crucial for understanding the competitive environment. OpenAI counters that such documents are outdated and fail to reflect the current AI landscape.
As both sides await the court’s decision on the scope of evidence, Turley’s testimony remains the focus. His insights could shape the outcome of one of the most significant antitrust cases in recent history.
