Unsurprisingly, Google’s remedy position is light-years away from the Justice Department’s. “DOJ’s sweeping proposals continue to go miles beyond the Court’s decision and would harm America’s consumers, economy, and national security,” said a Google spokesperson.
As expected, Google did not change its suggested remedies in the case, handing the court a proposal identical to the one it filed months ago. Google says it’s open to changing the way search placement deals work for browsers and Android devices, plus it would accept some additional regulatory oversight to ensure compliance. However, staffing changes at the DOJ and Google’s recent meetings have not done much to change the government’s desire to carve up the company.
Government to monitor AI and Android
There are two notable changes in the government’s position regarding Android and AI investment. Neither area will completely escape the government’s grasp under the proposed remedies, but Google won’t have to sell anything immediately.
This case centered on search and did not initially hinge on artificial intelligence. However, things have changed in the years since this case began. Last year, Judge Mehta allowed the government to seek limits on Google’s AI investments on the basis that AI was going to be a core part of web search going forward. Google has unintentionally proven that point just recently when it debuted its new AI Mode in search, which replaces the list of 10 blue links with an AI-derived answer. However, the DOJ is no longer making this request.
This is a small but important win for Google, which has been pumping billions into firms like Anthropic as the AI market takes shape. The company claimed that limiting its activities in this area would weaken US leadership in AI. It made this case to the newly restaffed DOJ in recent weeks, and it apparently made progress. The DOJ no longer seeks to force Google to divest from competing AI firms. Instead, Google would have to notify the government before making new AI investments.
