DOJ Signals Antitrust Shift on Media Deals as AI Alters Industry

Rapid changes in media fueled by increased use of artificial intelligence and streaming services require a “cautious humility” from antitrust enforcers as they assess whether mergers in the industry are threatening competition and consumers, a senior US Justice Department official said.

“We cannot and should not try to resolve every issue or commercial complaint that arises in markets,” Charlie Beller, a deputy assistant attorney general for antitrust, said Monday at the National Association of Broadcasters annual conference in Las Vegas. “Nor should we assume that every competitive concern must be addressed through federal antitrust enforcement.”

Instead, regulators should be ...