FTC Confirms Investigation Into AI Companies Over Consumer Safety Risks
2026-09-30 ยท Governance
An FTC spokesperson confirmed to Associated Press that the agency is investigating OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI companies over possible risks to consumers, and declined further comment.
An FTC spokesperson confirmed to Associated Press on September 30 that the Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI companies over dangers their technology may pose to consumers. The spokesperson declined further comment.
Reuters separately reported that a senior FTC official said the agency plans to demand information and compel testimony involving OpenAI, Anthropic, and the independent evaluator METR. Those specific information demands remain described as planned rather than issued; AP's confirmation establishes that the investigation exists, not that every reported step has occurred.
An investigation is not a finding of wrongdoing by any company. Nor does the reporting establish an accusation of misconduct against METR, which appears here as an evaluator whose work the agency wants to examine. This updates the existing September 30 story rather than describing a second investigation.
For SIRDA, this introduces a public authority's evidence-gathering power into the agent-incident story already unfolding through developer disclosures and voluntary external audits. The Powers Map's investigation and disclosure functions gain a concrete example: a regulator moving to compel information rather than relying on what companies choose to publish.