As competition in AI intensifies, achieving the next breakthrough is becoming increasingly expensive. Amid this race, established tech companies are leading research and development (R&D) spending, fueling innovation across the AI ecosystem and fostering competition.  AI Development Requires Significant Resources As we’ve previously written, advancing to the next level of AI requires unprecedented investment across […]

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Overenforcement of antitrust laws, especially when it comes to mergers and acquisitions, misses how corporate research & development (R&D) unleashes innovation. When regulators challenge acquisitions, they risk slowing that pipeline. R&D Requires Scale and Integration to Deliver Real Innovation Breakthrough research is rarely a standalone product. It must be paired with complementary capabilities, from manufacturing […]

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Earlier this month, Walmart achieved $1 trillion in market cap, a major milestone for the retail giant that underscores the dynamism in the retail market. This development further undercuts the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) case against Amazon, which relies on narrow market definitions that ignore the rapid evolution of omnichannel commerce and the fierce competition […]

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On December 14, 2025, iRobot announced that it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will be acquired by Chinese manufacturer Pica, after its merger deal with Amazon was abandoned in 2024. Once a pioneer of American consumer robotics, the company spent years in regulatory limbo after its proposed acquisition was blocked—draining capital, delaying innovation, and […]

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The FTC’s recent defeat in its challenge to unwind a major social media company’s past acquisitions has sparked wide-ranging commentary from legal experts and policy analysts. Commentators argue that the decision underscores how other tech cases are also built on static assumptions in dynamic markets that are unmoored from clear evidence of consumer harm and […]

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As debates continue over the FTC’s case against Amazon, experts across the policy spectrum agree on one thing: retail models like Amazon’s deliver real value to consumers. By combining the convenience of online shopping with competitive pricing that rivals brick-and-mortar stores, the growing popularity of omnichanneling strengthens competition and helps lower costs across retail markets. […]

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A growing body of evidence demonstrates that mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are essential to U.S. innovation. At the same time, the White House’s America’s AI Action Plan, released in July 2025, places rapid private-sector integration at the center of national AI strategy. Yet over-enforcement of antitrust laws and regulatory burdens threaten to undercut this strategy. […]

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OpenAI recently released ChatGPT Atlas, a browser built around its AI assistant. The launch shows how AI competition is spreading to a wide range of products and technologies, leading to more choice and innovation for consumers. Like many modern browsers, Atlas is built on Google’s open-source Chromium database, which has lowered barriers to entry and […]

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Former FTC General Counsel Alden Abbott recently warned in Forbes that excessive antitrust intervention could derail America’s AI leadership. Although U.S. companies are investing at record levels of investment and competing vigorously across the AI value chain, regulators are signaling a more interventionist approach that could inadvertently chill private investment, deter responsible partnerships and slow the […]

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The strength of the U.S. digital economy lies in its adaptability. Since the FTC began investigating Amazon in 2019, commerce has been reshaped by innovation, new entrants, CVOID, and shifting consumer preferences. Since then online and offline shopping evolved rapidly amid fierce competition from brick-and-mortar stores, undermining the case’s premise. The agency’s lawsuit relies on […]

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