Microsoft, $MSFT, is quitting the board of OpenAI

Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. have decided not to take board roles at OpenAI, highlighting the increasing regulatory scrutiny over Big Tech's influence on artificial intelligence.

Regulatory bodies in Europe and the US had raised concerns about Microsoft's influence over OpenAI, prompting one of the world's most valuable companies to demonstrate a more detached relationship. Microsoft has integrated OpenAI's services into its Windows and Copilot AI platforms and, like other major US tech firms, is relying on this new technology to fuel growth.

Microsoft, which invested $13 billion in the creator of ChatGPT, announced its withdrawal from the board in a letter to OpenAI, according to Bloomberg News. Apple was also expected to assume a board role, but an OpenAI spokesperson confirmed that the startup will not have any board observers following Microsoft's departure.