FTC Confirms It Is Investigating Anthropic, OpenAI and Other AI Firms Over Consumer Risk; Says the Probe Opened This Summer

The Federal Trade Commission confirmed on a Wednesday (CBS News’s update stamp puts it on the date of this entry) that it had launched an investigation into Anthropic, OpenAI and other artificial intelligence companies over the potential risk their technology poses to consumers. The New York Post reported it first. CBS News, citing the FTC spokesperson, says the probe was first opened this summer, and the spokesperson said officials are investigating whether the companies’ actions run afoul of the FTC Act. A senior FTC official told the Post that Chairman Andrew Ferguson initiated an investigation into the leading AI firms a few weeks ago. The nonprofit evaluator METR was reported as a target alongside the labs.

The official also told the Post: “We’re not telling them to stop. We’re not telling them to do anything. We are in the investigative phase,”. At that point the FTC was reported to be drafting civil investigative demands; none had yet been issued.

Anthropic’s registration statement describes this stage as non-public investigations opened after media reports citing a senior FTC official in September 2026.

The Post article itself was not fetched; its content here is as relayed by CBS News and The Next Web. The entry date is the FTC’s confirmation date, not the date the probe opened.

Anthropic entry: flagged for Mark’s non-Claude verification (standing rule).