Hua Er Jie Jian Wen·2025-12-10 08:57Core Viewpoint - The European Union is investigating whether Google is leveraging its dominant position in search to unfairly obtain content for AI training through web crawlers, potentially gaining an unfair advantage in the AI competition [1][2]. Group 1: Investigation Focus - The investigation centers on Google's use of its web crawler, Googlebot, to freely acquire content from the internet, while competitors like OpenAI and Amazon spend millions to secure licensing agreements for training data [2]. - This advantage has allowed Google to quickly catch up to competitors after the launch of ChatGPT, raising questions about whether this rapid development was achieved through fair means [2]. Group 2: Google's Dual Standards - Google enjoys a unique advantage in acquiring AI training data, using Googlebot to index web content while simultaneously utilizing the same data for training its AI models [3]. - Other AI companies must pay for high-quality data, while Google obtains it for free, leading to a situation where publishers face a dilemma: blocking Googlebot risks losing visibility in search results, while allowing its use means forfeiting compensation [3][4]. Group 3: Regulatory Solutions - A proposed regulatory solution suggests that Google should separate its search crawler from an AI-specific crawler, allowing publishers to opt-out or seek compensation for their content [5]. - This separation would create a fairer competitive environment, ensuring all AI companies face similar costs for acquiring training data [5]. Group 4: Market Dynamics - Google argues that the EU's investigation could stifle market innovation, but the reality is that the AI boom is increasingly concentrating profits among existing giants like Google [6]. - The dual use of Googlebot exemplifies how Google may be reinforcing its dominance, and eliminating this potential advantage is necessary for fostering a genuinely competitive AI landscape [6].