OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has voiced its concerns to the European Commission about the growing challenges of competing fairly in the artificial intelligence industry—especially against tech giant Google. Despite remarkable success, including over 800 million weekly users and a $500 billion valuation following its latest share sale, OpenAI says it faces hurdles that require closer regulatory attention.

According to Bloomberg News, OpenAI representatives met with EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera on September 24 to discuss the competitive landscape in AI. The company highlighted the difficulty of operating in an environment where major tech firms already control vast ecosystems and user bases. OpenAI reportedly urged regulators to “take steps against the risk of large platforms locking users into their ecosystems,” emphasizing the need for intervention to preserve market fairness.

Confirming its engagement with EU authorities, OpenAI said the discussions were consistent with its publicly stated views on market fairness. “Our conversations with regulators align with our ongoing commitment to transparency and fair competition,” the company noted. This stance aligns with broader EU efforts to ensure that emerging AI technologies develop in an open and competitive environment, free from monopolistic practices.

The discussions come at a time when OpenAI’s latest innovation, the video-generation tool Sora, has taken the tech world by storm. As revealed by Bill Peebles, head of Sora, the app surpassed one million downloads within just five days of its late-September release—an adoption rate even faster than ChatGPT’s early success. Sora 2, the app’s short-video version, topped Apple’s App Store charts on October 3, just three days after launch, despite being invite-only and limited to users in the United States and Canada.

OpenAI’s rapid rise has positioned it among the most valuable startups globally, yet the company maintains that its growth is hindered by structural disadvantages when competing against long-established players like Google. The company has reportedly asked EU officials to monitor practices that make it difficult for users to switch between services, warning that such “lock-in” tactics could stifle innovation and limit consumer choice.

The European Commission is already reviewing how major, vertically integrated platforms may be extending their dominance into AI. Regulators are said to be examining how existing market power is leveraged through AI integrations and intercompany agreements that could unfairly influence competition.

Both the European Commission and Google have declined to comment on OpenAI’s concerns so far, leaving open questions about how regulatory authorities will address the issue. Still, the company’s outreach underscores a key tension in today’s tech landscape: balancing rapid AI innovation with fair and open market practices.

OpenAI’s extraordinary growth story—from ChatGPT’s massive user base to Sora’s explosive debut—demonstrates its role as a central player in the global AI ecosystem. Yet, as competition intensifies, the company’s call for regulatory fairness signals that innovation alone may not be enough to secure a level playing field in the era of intelligent machines.