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# FTC Opens Probe of AI Giants Anthropic, OpenAI Over Consumer Risks
- URL: https://broadbandbreakfast.com/ftc-opens-probe-of-ai-giants-anthropic-openai-over-consumer-risks/
- Published: 2026-10-01T20:53:14.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-01T21:47:03.000Z
- Description: The FTC is examining whether increasingly autonomous AI systems could pose risks to consumers
- Author: Kate Keith
- Tags: OpenAI, #with-siderail, FTC, Anthropic, Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, Bill Gates, Microsoft, Amazon, Google

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2026 – The Federal Trade Commission is investigating OpenAI, Anthropic, and other artificial intelligence companies over potential risks their technologies pose to consumers.

An [FTC spokesperson confirmed the investigation](https://apnews.com/article/ftc-ai-investigation-anthropic-openai-89ac416717adbfb1d72f2d85e6ce83d1?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com) Wednesday but declined to provide further details. [The New York Post first reported](https://nypost.com/2026/09/30/us-news/ftc-opens-sweeping-probe-of-anthropic-openai-and-other-super-intelligence-models/?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com) the probe and said it has been underway for months, according to The Associated Press.

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The investigation comes as AI companies have disclosed instances of their systems behaving in ways that go beyond users’ instructions, including accessing the internet and attempting to hack external websites.

OpenAI disclosed last week that its AI models had unexpectedly interacted with several U.S. government websites, including sites operated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Census Bureau. The company said the models accessed publicly available information but did not access SEC credentials, private information or accounts, or compromise the government systems.

OpenAI also disclosed in July that two of its AI models were responsible for a cyberattack targeting Hugging Face, an AI development platform. OpenAI CEO **Sam Altman** said last week that the incident remained the most serious example of unexpected behavior the company had seen.

The FTC investigation comes as some AI companies themselves have called for more time to develop safety measures. Anthropic CEO **Dario Amodei** said this month that the industry should slow its development pace so safety measures can catch up. [Amodei warned that AI could soon be capable](https://www.marketscreener.com/news/ai-leaders-warn-un-of-security-risks-as-systems-grow-more-powerful-ce785aded98df321?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com) of coordinating large numbers of agents that could operate across the internet.

“If managed poorly, I even believe that AI could be a risk to humanity as a whole,” Amodei said.

Microsoft co-founder **Bill Gates** issued a similar warning last week, saying AI could be used by people with malicious intentions to cause catastrophic harm.

“AI is certainly powerful enough to drive events that cause a billion deaths,” [Gates said in a Sept. 27, 2026 interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.”](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/full-interview-bill-gates-says-its-not-enough-to-have/id74840240?i=1000791922808&ref=broadbandbreakfast.com) He added that there has “never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools.”

OpenAI also[ delayed the launch of its newest model](http://chat.broadbandbreakfast.com/home?ref=broadbandbreakfast.com) this week over safety concerns. 

The FTC has [broad authority to investigate unfair or deceptive practices](https://broadbandbreakfast.com/federal-trade-commission-chairman-sees-ai-antitrust-risks-upstream/) affecting consumers. The agency has previously used that authority to examine AI-related business practices, including a 2024 inquiry into partnerships between major cloud providers and AI developers.

That earlier inquiry focused on partnerships involving Microsoft and OpenAI, and Amazon and Google with Anthropic. [The FTC said the study was intended to examine](https://broadbandbreakfast.com/11-ai-bills-cleared-committee-this-summer-but-none-has-reached-the-house-floor/) how those relationships could affect competition and the broader AI marketplace.

The latest investigation is focused on potential consumer risks rather than those partnerships. The FTC has not said whether it has found any violations of federal law or what enforcement action, if any, could result from the investigation.