Silicon Valley executives including Amodei, Altman, and Musk support slowing AI development, but critics argue an AI freeze would entrench dominant firms like OpenAI and Anthropic while harming smaller competitors, with additional concerns about China gaining advantage without international cooperation.
CVS will pay $20.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit over illegally sharing user data with third parties like Criteo. Eligible US users who accessed CVS digital properties before July 27, 2026 can claim $5–$10 by November 16, 2026, pending court approval on December 1, 2026.
Caesars Entertainment shareholders approved a $6 billion merger with Fertitta Gaming, creating one of the largest gaming empires. The deal values the company at approximately $17.6 billion and will make Caesars privately held. The merger still requires federal antitrust review before completion.
Four plaintiffs filed a class-action antitrust lawsuit against Anthropic, OpenAI, and others, alleging they coordinated to slow AI development starting in July 2026, reducing consumer value. The defendants argue safety justification, but plaintiffs claim this substitutes collective restraint for accountability. The Trump administration opposed the proposal, while China criticized it as excluding Beijing from a purported global framework.
Paramount settled its antitrust case with 12 state attorneys general led by California AG Rob Bonta, removing a major obstacle to its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, the largest merger in Hollywood history. The settlement, reached just before a $7 million daily fee was to begin accruing, does not require major divestitures despite Bonta's earlier insistence on structural remedies. The deal concludes litigation that had been set for trial in March 2027 and was also opposed by the Writers Guild of America.
State attorneys general led by California's Rob Bonta settled their antitrust lawsuit against Paramount's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing the way for the merger to close in early October. In exchange, Paramount committed to releasing 30 films annually in theaters and establishing an editorial independence board for CBS News and CNN. The deal, involving Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and ties to President Trump, sparked political controversy over media concentration.
Paramount and Skydance will settle a lawsuit brought by state attorneys general seeking to block their $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. The settlement includes independent editorial boards for CNN and CBS, and a $30 million penalty per film if Paramount fails to release 30 movies annually, allowing the deal to proceed.
A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court alleges that Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceXAI, and Google violated antitrust laws by coordinating to slow their AI development, particularly following Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's September 12 essay proposing industrywide cooperation on AI safety. The plaintiffs, who pay for AI subscriptions, argue that this coordination reduces consumer value by substituting collective restraint for competitive market dynamics.
The article argues that the U.S. should regulate AI domestically without waiting for China to act first, drawing parallels to domestic environmental and safety regulations that protect citizens from harm regardless of international action. The author contends that an AI Regulatory Commission could address domestic harms similar to existing common law and criminal law, and that domestic regulation might even spur international agreements rather than hinder them.
AGC CEO Stuart Ford argues that the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery antitrust complaint fails to address threats to independent film and international television production, sectors that face eroding Pay-1 license fees and reduced negotiating leverage with streamers as the number of major buyers shrinks from five to four.
AI companies calling for a coordinated development 'slowdown' to address safety risks face antitrust concerns, as regulators may interpret their language as collusive output reduction rather than legitimate safety measures. Antitrust experts argue that emphasizing safety protocols and alignment rather than explicit 'slowdown' language would better withstand legal scrutiny under existing antitrust doctrine.
The FCC approved allowing foreign entities to hold up to 49.5% equity in Paramount after its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, backed by sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. The commission determined the foreign investors pose no national security risk since they will not own voting stock, which will remain with the Ellison family and RedBird Capital Partners. The merger faces an ongoing antitrust lawsuit scheduled for trial in March.
Paramount CEO David Ellison is threatening to relocate the company's headquarters from California to Georgia, Tennessee, or Texas over a state-led antitrust lawsuit blocking its proposed $110 billion merger with Warner Bros Discovery. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other officials have accused Paramount of blackmail, while LA Mayor Karen Bass emphasized protecting entertainment industry jobs. The merger faces a trial date of March 2, with settlement discussions expected next month.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei proposes slowing AI development through embedded evaluators in labs, coordinated safety standards among frontier AI companies, and global coordination with authoritarian governments. Critics argue these measures would strengthen a cartel of leading AI firms, impose burdens on startups, require waiving antitrust laws, and are unverifiable internationally.
Paramount and California Attorney General Rob Bonta are ordered to meet for court-mediated settlement talks in October regarding a $111-billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Bonta and 11 other Democratic state attorneys general sued to block the deal, though international regulators and the Trump administration's Justice Department support it. The outcome of these talks could determine whether the mega-merger proceeds.
Paramount funded and leaked a study claiming California would lose 58,000 jobs and $21 billion annually if its $111 billion merger with Warner Brothers is blocked by antitrust lawsuits. The company has engaged in controversial tactics including threats to leave California, accusations of antisemitism against opponents, and funding a questionable study through an industry-sponsored organization designed to appear objective.
Anthropic and OpenAI proposed coordinating a slowdown in frontier AI development with antitrust exemptions, citing safety concerns. Critics including Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez, Hugging Face engineer Niels Rogge, and White House AI czar David Sacks argue the initiative is a cartel designed to lock out competitors and protect dominant labs' market position rather than genuine safety advocacy.