The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has proposed requiring Google to give rival artificial intelligence assistants greater visibility on Android devices and the Chrome browser, as regulators examine how competition rules should apply to the growing market for AI-powered digital services.
Under the proposal, Google would have to include third-party AI assistants alongside its own services on choice screens shown to users. The measure is intended to give consumers more control over which AI assistant they use while reducing the possibility that Google's position across Android and Chrome could provide an advantage to its Gemini AI service.
Choice screens are designed to let users select between competing services instead of automatically relying on a platform provider's default option. Extending the mechanism to AI assistants could provide rival developers with an additional route to reach users on Google's widely used mobile operating system and browser.
The proposal forms part of the CMA's work under the UK's digital markets competition regime. Google has been designated as having Strategic Market Status in relation to certain search services, giving the regulator powers to consider targeted conduct requirements intended to promote competition.
The regulator is examining measures covering areas including default settings and choice screens as AI becomes more closely integrated with search, browsers, smartphones and other digital products.
The development comes as technology companies increasingly position AI assistants as a new interface for accessing information and completing digital tasks. Google has been integrating Gemini across its products, including Android, Chrome and Search, while competing services from companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Microsoft are also expanding their reach across consumer and enterprise applications.
Greater access to Android and Chrome could therefore become an important distribution channel for independent AI providers. At the same time, any regulatory intervention would need to account for factors such as user experience, security and how third-party assistants interact with operating systems and browsers.
The CMA's proposal does not represent a final requirement. It is part of an ongoing regulatory process, with feedback and consultation expected before measures are finalised.
The UK's approach reflects a broader regulatory focus on whether established technology platforms could extend their existing market positions into emerging AI services. As AI assistants become embedded in browsers, operating systems and search products, questions around defaults, distribution and consumer choice are becoming increasingly relevant to competition authorities.
For Google and other AI providers, the outcome could influence how assistants are presented and distributed to users in the UK as competition shifts from standalone chatbots towards AI integrated directly into everyday digital platforms.
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