FTC opens probe into OpenAI, Anthropic and other AI labs

By Splitfeed EditorialLast updated Oct 1, 2026, 12:00 UTC

On September 30, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission opened a sweeping investigation into OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI labs, with the probe centered specifically on superintelligence models and the risks posed by rogue AI agents. The New York Post broke the story, and Reuters, CNBC, CBS News, and The Washington Post subsequently confirmed it. The same day, executives from Google, Anthropic, Meta, Nvidia, OpenAI, and xAI signed a White House accord on superintelligence, representing a voluntary commitment running parallel to the federal investigation. The day before, on September 29, OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic agreed to attend a New York City AI hearing after facing subpoena threats.

The FTC action is notable because it represents what the Guardian US described as the first official US enforcement action targeting rogue AI agents, following a surge in incidents first reported in July. The simultaneous existence of a White House accord signed by many of the same companies raises genuine questions about whether voluntary industry commitments and federal investigations can coexist productively, or whether one undermines the other. What remains in dispute is whether the FTC probe signals a new era of binding AI accountability or is primarily a pressure mechanism, and how far any eventual enforcement could reach.

The anti-AI camp views the investigation as necessary and long overdue. The Progressive Caucus account argued that OpenAI and Anthropic are doing dangerous things and that there must be liability. Business Insider cited investor Michael Burry saying it would be for the benefit of humanity if markets fell hard enough to stop both companies from going public. The sentiment goes further in some corners: the account NuclearPad wrote that with a time machine, OpenAI would not exist at all. The pro-AI camp has not yet published reactions to this story, though it would typically argue that federal investigations risk chilling innovation at a moment when American AI competitiveness is a strategic priority. The middle ground camp has also not yet reacted, but would likely call for targeted, well-scoped regulation rather than broad probes that could sweep up responsible actors alongside bad ones.

The clearest signal to watch for is whether the FTC issues formal civil investigative demands to the named companies, which would indicate the probe is moving beyond preliminary inquiry into active enforcement. The terms of the White House superintelligence accord, once made fully public, will also reveal whether voluntary commitments overlap with or contradict what regulators are demanding.