The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) is examining whether there are any instances of artificial intelligence (AI) companies sharing executives or directors, a situation that may potentially breach U.S. antitrust regulations, according to Andrew Forman, deputy assistant attorney general for antitrust at the DoJ.

The department is actively monitoring instances where AI rivals share board members, Forman highlighted at a conference in Washington. He emphasized the importance of swift enforcement of regulations in the evolving industry, noting the potential competitive advantages gained through such actions as a focal point for their efforts.

U.S. antitrust regulations prohibit interlocking directorates, where individuals or entities serve on the boards of two companies directly competing with each other. 

This comes after big tech firms like Microsoft and Amazon have heavily invested in a number of AI startups. Microsoft, which has invested billions in OpenAI, has recently invested in Mistal AI, another generative AI startup.