The ACCC wants to challenge Google's dominance in Search and AI

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says there needs to be a serious effort to challenge the dominance of Google and Microsoft in the internet search market. According to Statcounter, Google holds 97.76% of the market, and Microsoft is at a distant second with only 1.22%. The other players like Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, and Yandex are minuscule by comparison.     

The ACCC is worried this will allow Google and Microsoft to widen the gap once they complete the integration of Generative AI in search. A new report (via Reuters) by the commission says that big tech's pockets are deep enough to give it an upper hand. 

The commission called for more user choices and the need to build competition. It said that another concern was commercial deals with other companies, potentially disrupting the accuracy and reliability of their AI models.

Commissioner Peter Crone said that while some people "may find the generative AI search experience more useful and efficient, others may be concerned about the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated responses to search queries."

Australia has not been shy of tightening its grip around big tech. It recently passed a law banning social media for children under 16. It also proposed a bill to impose heavy fines on big tech companies if they suppress competition.