AI Acquihires: Competition Risks, Talent Battles and Economic Spillovers

• 9 Oct 2025

Antitrust agencies are increasingly confronted with "acquihires" of AI start-ups — yet most cases so far have been waved through under the banner of "uncertainty." A decade ago, similar caution around platform acquisitions helped cement dominant digital ecosystems.
Are we repeating the same mistake? Should AI acquihires be seen as a new form of (reverse) killer acquisition, removing future rivals by absorbing key talent?

Beyond competition policy, the stakes may be even broader. Compared with past industrial revolutions, the AI boom is generating fewer new jobs, while acquihires intensify the battle for a small pool of exceptionally productive workers. What are the consequences for innovation, labour markets, and spillovers to the wider economy?