Public Citizen Welcomes FTC Investigation Into OpenAI and Anthropic, But Warns Against Another Big Tech Accountability Giveaway
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reportedly issued subpoenas to OpenAI and Anthropic as part of an investigation into dangerous incidents involving artificial intelligence systems, including autonomous AI agents engaging in unauthorized harmful behavior. The investigation comes amid mounting evidence leading AI companies cannot safely research or deploy the technology, raising serious questions about cybersecurity, consumer protection, and whether existing safeguards are protecting global digital infrastructure.
J.B. Branch, director of federal AI governance and technology policy at Public Citizen, issued the following statement:
“The FTC’s investigation is a start of potential accountability for these reckless AI companies, and while investigators need to get this right, they cannot drag their feet. Congress should also take notice that the American people are tired of Big Tech getting away with breaking our laws and not answering for their harmful products. Members of Congress and hopeful electeds should mark their calendars now for hearings in 2027, with AI executives testifying under oath and explaining to the American people what went wrong and what they are doing to prevent the next AI-related cyber incident.
“The Trump administration will be watched closely given their history of cronyism and sweetheart settlements that allow Big Tech to write million-dollar checks as a ‘get out of jail free’ card. Americans deserve answers and meaningful consequences, and if wrongdoing is found, legal accountability must follow.”
Earlier this year Public Citizen called for federal investigations into dangerous AI incidents, including the unauthorized access to Hugging Face infrastructure involving OpenAI’s autonomous AI agents. The organization has also urged Congress and the Department of Justice to investigate these incidents. Public Citizen’s Deleting Tech Enforcement report documented how the Trump administration withdrew or halted 47 federal enforcement actions involving technology companies during its first six months. The companies benefiting from withdrawn or halted actions, along with their executives and investors, collectively spent $1.2 billion on political influence during and after the 2024 elections, including $25 million in donations to Trump’s inauguration.