FTC confirms investigation amid reported probe of frontier AI companies

An FTC spokesperson confirmed an investigation but declined to identify its scope, WIRED reported, after the New York Post reported plans for a probe of frontier AI companies over potential consumer protection issues. The Post identified Anthropic, OpenAI, other unnamed frontier labs and third-party evaluator METR as intended targets. It said the agency had not yet issued civil investigative demands, usually an early step in an investigation. The companies and METR did not respond to WIRED's requests for comment. The news follows a voluntary White House safety accord signed by AI executives. The FTC spokesperson did not specify which consumer protection issues were under investigation.