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DOJ antitrust head warns dealmakers not to mislead on AI

By Thomson Reuters May 7, 2026 | 1:08 PM

By Jody Godoy

May 7 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust head on ​Thursday warned companies against ‌trying to misleadingly use artificial intelligence disruption as a defense in merger reviews without providing ‌evidence.

Acting ​Assistant Attorney General ⁠Omeed Assefi oversees ⁠the DOJ’s work reviewing mergers and said that merging parties are welcome to ​engage with his division at any point in ⁠the process.

However, “we know ⁠when you are trying ​to mislead us,” he said ​at an event at New ‌York University.

“We know you will be tempted to tell us that AI is ⁠replacing your industries. We get it. We hear that a lot. ⁠For ‌us to take it ⁠seriously, we expect ​it ‌to be backed up ​with actual ⁠evidence,” he said, according to a copy of prepared remarks.

(Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by ​Bill Berkrot)