The Justice Department wants to learn more about Google’s artificial intelligence strategies to determine what changes it will require to address Google’s monopoly in search.
The request came during a hearing Friday in federal court in Washington, D.C., where Google and the Justice Department met before Judge Amit Mehta, who recently ruled in favor of the Justice Department and Agreed that Google is an illegal monopoly. Mehta’s decision formally ends the first phase of the trial, which focused on whether Google should be held liable under antitrust laws. All parties are now entering the remediation phase, where the government will propose solutions to correct violations and restore market competition.
U.S. Justice Department lawyer David Dahlquist told the court that the government needs more evidence to understand Google’s business conditions in recent years. The trial covers deals struck by Google in the early 2000s, including a long-term agreement to provide search services for Apple products. But the Justice Department study comes as Google joins potential rivals such as Microsoft in launching new search products built around generative artificial intelligence. As Dahlquist mentioned, Google’s AI names have even changed since last year’s trial: then it was Bard, now Gemini, so the team asked for more information about Google’s new business decisions, Includes information surrounding artificial intelligence.
The parties have not yet agreed on a timetable for the remediation phase, which would include another trial-like proceeding. But Mehta said he hoped those debates could take place in the first half of next year. While nothing is set in stone yet, they expect it to be much less intensive — about a week or two — than the 10-week trial that began last September. Both sides are expected to submit new scheduling proposals by next Friday.
