AI Force

Google is challenging European Union regulatory orders that would force it to open its platforms to competing AI services and search engines. The company is contesting the EU's requirements, arguing against mandated access for rivals in both artificial intelligence and search. The dispute adds to Google's long-running friction with European regulators over competition rules and platform dominance.

Google's parent company Alphabet has filed a legal challenge against two European Union orders requiring the company to give AI and search competitors access to Android and to its search data. The dispute centres on how far the EU can force dominant platforms to open up mobile and search infrastructure to rivals, and it adds to Alphabet's growing regulatory battles with Brussels.

Google is resisting a European Union effort that would force it to open Android to competing AI assistants, according to Bloomberg. The dispute centres on whether rival AI bots should get the same access to Android features that Google's own Gemini enjoys. It is the latest front in a long-running regulatory battle between Brussels and the search giant over the dominance of its mobile operating system.

Arthur Mensch, chief executive of French AI start-up Mistral, argues that AI should be understood as software that can be controlled, pushing back on portrayals of the technology as an uncontrollable force. In an interview with Le Monde, he frames AI systems as tools that can be governed through engineering and oversight, a stance likely to fuel debate about regulation and AI safety.

Developers are weighing whether to switch their apps and services from pay-per-use AI APIs to flat subscription models as API costs for large language models keep climbing. Supporters of subscriptions say predictable pricing protects margins and simplifies billing for users, while critics argue usage-based pricing is fairer and subscriptions can lead to losses when heavy users consume more AI compute than they pay for. The debate has split developer communities, with many sharing cost breakdowns and real-world examples of both approaches.