Semiconductor giant Nvidia on Tuesday denied anti-competitive practices after Bloomberg reported an investigation by the US Department of Justice into the matter. “Nvidia has won on merit, as shown by benchmark studies and our customers, who can choose what is best for them”a spokesperson for the Santa Clara, California, group told AFP.
According to several American media outlets, the company has received a request for documents from the Department of Justice (DOJ), which is part of an investigation into possible competition violations. When contacted by AFP, the company did not directly confirm having received this request. As for the Department of Justice, it did not respond to a request for information. According to Bloomberg, the DOJ is particularly looking to determine whether Nvidia is blocking its customers from changing suppliers or whether it is preventing others from diversifying their supplies.
Central player in generative AI
Since the advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI), Nvidia has become the central player in the development of this technology, thanks to its chips, called graphics cards or GPUs. They offer computing capacities significantly superior to the competition and have become indispensable for the development of large language models, software that produces content on simple request in everyday language.
In the first quarter of 2024, Nvidia’s market share in graphics cards reached 88%, according to Jon Peddie Research (JPR). In mid-July, the French Competition Authority confirmed that it was investigating the group for suspected anti-competitive practices.
