To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure that UK-based artificial intelligence start-ups are not acquired by dominant market players.
Answered on
24 February 2020
Under the Enterprise Act 2002, consideration of the competition aspects of mergers and takeovers in the UK is handled by the independent Competition and Markets Authority or, in some cases during the Transition Period, the European Commission.
In March last year, the Digital Competition Expert Panel, led by Professor Jason Furman, made a series of recommendations for how the UK’s competition framework can face the challenges posed by digital markets. The Government welcomed this report and is carefully considering the Panel’s recommendations. The Government will respond in due course.