The European Commission is preparing to examine whether Meta, Google, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft are using their power in artificial intelligence to block rivals, according to people familiar with the matter. The move would add a fresh regulatory challenge for the five companies as they expand AI products across Europe.

The inquiry would focus on whether the firms are tying AI services to their existing platforms in ways that could make it harder for smaller competitors to reach users. Regulators in Brussels have increasingly signaled concern that the rapid growth of generative AI could reinforce the dominance of already powerful tech companies.

If opened, the review would mark another step in Europe’s broader effort to police digital markets and enforce competition rules more aggressively. The bloc has already targeted large technology firms with antitrust actions and new rules aimed at limiting the market power of gatekeepers.

The reported investigation comes as governments worldwide try to balance support for AI innovation with scrutiny over how the technology is sold, distributed and controlled. For smaller firms, the outcome could shape whether they can compete on equal footing in one of the fastest-growing parts of the tech industry.