On May 30, closing arguments concluded in the remedies phase of the landmark Google Search antitrust case, in which the Department of Justice and Google presented their final proposals on how to address Google’s monopoly in the internet search market, as determined by a judge last year. In a new insight, Technology and Innovation Policy Analyst Angela Luna discusses why the recent popularity of artificial intelligence-run (AI) search tools adds new complexity to the case and why policymakers should exercise caution in addressing such antitrust concerns moving forward.

Key points:

• The remedies phase of the Google Search antitrust case will determine measures to restore competition after a judge ruled last year that Google maintained a dominant position in the internet search market.
• While Google has more than 90-percent share of the search market, the court largely ignored the significant role AI now plays among digital search options; AI is introducing meaningful competition into the search market, moving users beyond traditional keyword-based queries to more conversational interactions, offering consumers more personalized tools, and reducing reliance on established gatekeepers.
• While the case demonstrates that current antitrust law can effectively respond to dominance in technological markets, challenges remain in properly addressing these issues as new technologies disrupt the market; policymakers should therefore be skeptical of calls to modify or reconstruct antitrust law as AI is reshaping market dynamics.

Read the analysis.