Japan's competition authority will probe AI search services from major domestic and international tech firms. The investigation aims to identify potential antitrust violations rather than impose immediate sanctions.

The probe is expected to cover LY Corp., Google, Microsoft and AI providers such as OpenAI and Perplexity AI. Concerns centre on how AI systems present and utilise news content within search results.

Legal action by Japanese news organisations alleges unauthorised use of articles by AI services. Regulators are assessing whether such practices constitute abuse of market dominance.

The inquiry builds on a 2023 review of news distribution contracts that warned against the use of unfair terms for publishers. Similar investigations overseas, including within the EU, have guided the commission's approach.