The US department of justice has launched an investigation into Nvidia after complaints from competitors that it may have abused its market dominance in selling chips that power artificial intelligence, The Information reported on Thursday.
Investigators are looking at whether Nvidia pressured cloud providers to buy multiple Nvidia products, the report said, citing people involved in the discussions.
The investigation is also looking into whether Nvidia charges its customers a higher price for networking gear if the customer wants to buy AI chips from rivals such as AMD and Intel, the report added. Nvidia commands roughly 80% of the AI chip market.
“We compete based on decades of investment and innovation, scrupulously adhering to all laws, making Nvidia openly available in every cloud and on-prem for every enterprise, and ensuring that customers can choose whatever solution is best for them,” an Nvidia spokesman said in a statement.
The justice department did not immediately respond to requests for comment late on Thursday.
The report said that investigators have reached out to several Nvidia competitors to gather more details. US progressive groups and Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren have pressed the justice department to investigate Nvidia over competition concerns.
The groups, which oppose monopolies and promote government oversight of tech companies, among other issues, took aim at Nvidia’s bundling of software and hardware, a practice that French antitrust enforcers have flagged as they prepare to bring charges. — Angela Christy and Mrinmay Dey, with Devika Nair, (c) 2024 Reuters
