Microsoft considers suing Amazon and OpenAI over $50 billion deal
Microsoft may be about to take its biggest AI partner to court, the Financial Times reports.
Microsoft, a longtime backer of OpenAI, is weighing legal action over the latter’s $50 billion deal with Amazon tied to its new Frontier AI product, arguing it could violate a key clause in their exclusive cloud deal requiring OpenAI’s models to run through Azure. Amazon and OpenAI say they’ve found a workaround. Microsoft executives disagree.
“We know our contract,” a source told the FT. “We will sue them if they breach it. If Amazon and OpenAI want to take a bet on the creativity of their contractual lawyers, I would back us, not them.”
OpenAI, which is eyeing an IPO this year and under pressure to generate more revenue, is trying to loosen Microsoft’s grip as it scales, while Microsoft increasingly sees OpenAI as both a partner and competitor.
“We know our contract,” a source told the FT. “We will sue them if they breach it. If Amazon and OpenAI want to take a bet on the creativity of their contractual lawyers, I would back us, not them.”
OpenAI, which is eyeing an IPO this year and under pressure to generate more revenue, is trying to loosen Microsoft’s grip as it scales, while Microsoft increasingly sees OpenAI as both a partner and competitor.