The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has issued clarifications on the bidding for conducting the study on artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on competition. It has also extended the deadline for submission of bids from June 3, 2024 to June 18, 2024.
In a communication dated May 24, 2024, CCI noted that the financial bids will be opened on July 11, 2024.
In addition, in a set of clarifications, the minimum annual turnover of Rs 500 million has been retained for the bidders. Further, as per CCI, bids cannot be submitted through a consortium or a joint venture.
The study will cover various aspects, including the ways Al-driven personalised recommendations, services, and pricing influence consumer choices. It will also look at whether and in what manner can Al facilitate and/or implement anti-competitive strategies as well as the novel strategies aided by Al that can lead to anti-competitive outcomes. Additionally, the new forms of collusion prompted by the use of Al such as self-learning algorithms and whether bias in Al algorithms can impact competition will be examined during the study.
Further, other elements that will be covered include how do Al-driven personalised recommendations, services and pricing influence consumer welfare and choice, what are the synergies and risks that may stem from mergers and acquisitions (M&As) involving firms with Al capabilities, and what are the specific factors/parameters that need to be considered in assessing competitive effects of such M&As.
