Keynote exploring both long-standing challenges and emerging priorities in competition and antitrust policy. Key themes will include mergers and acquisitions, market concentration, and potential structural remedies.

Artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, is transforming economies, industries, and creative sectors at a pace few could have anticipated. These technologies bring unprecedented opportunities for innovation, economic growth, and societal benefit. Yet, at the same time, they raise important questions for the adequacy and adaptability of existing competition and intellectual property (IP) frameworks both here, in the United States, as well as across the international arena. 

Given this, this session will explore the intersection of competition policy and IP law in shaping the global economy. Panellists will explore consolidation trends, vertical integration, and strategic partnerships among leading players, while also considering how antitrust enforcement, cross-border cooperation, and legal adaptation can help sustain open, dynamic, and innovative markets. With different jurisdictions and regions taking divergent approaches, the discussion will also consider whether international convergence is possible, and what this means for the future of AI governance.

• How is AI adoption reshaping market dynamics across sectors globally, and which trends are most relevant to competition authorities and policymakers?
  What emerging priorities should guide both future U.S. and international regulatory approaches to AI market power and IP protection?
  
• Is the current U.S. antitrust framework agile enough to address potential risks linked to concentrated control over AI technologies and infrastructure?
  Do agencies have the tools, expertise, and resources they need?
  
• What is the impact of AI generated content on competition policy and are current IP laws fit for purpose in the era of generative AI? Should regulators adopt a more proactive stance today, or would early interventions risk hindering innovation and global competitiveness?
• How might emerging global partnerships, and increasingly common circular financing models, between cloud infrastructure providers, chip manufacturers, and AI developers shape access to compute and data?
  
• In light of broader consolidation patterns in AI development, are there concerns around algorithmic coordination or unintended pricing alignment between AI tools?
  How do competition for talent and control over intellectual property shape these dynamics globally?
  
• How might the competition landscape in AI evolve over the next 3–5 years across the U.S., EU, G7, China, and emerging markets?

Technological leadership has long anchored the U.S’ economic strength and global standing. Now, amid intensifying geopolitical rivalry, the reach of major global firms and their advanced technologies is perhaps more deeply intertwined than ever with national priorities and strategic interests around the world.

Accordingly, this session will explore how breakthroughs in sectors such as semiconductors, AI, and cloud infrastructure are shaping market dynamics and driving global regulatory agendas. Panellists will consider how domestic competition policy intersects with broader foreign policy objectives, global approaches to regulation in strategically significant markets, and the extent to which antitrust enforcement can support both innovation and resilience in a fragmented global environment. With international perspectives, speakers from outside the U.S. will also reflect on the weight of American technological leadership, as well as on efforts underway in other regions to balance, complement, or curb its influence.

• In what ways is U.S. technological leadership influencing international regulatory debates and competitive dynamics? What trends are driving this influence, both domestically and globally?
  
• How can competition authorities balance their enforcement mandates with broader policy considerations, including innovation, security, and economic resilience?
  
• What lessons can be drawn from responses by other jurisdictions, such as China and the EU, to developments in high-tech sectors? Are these responses converging or diverging, and to what extent are these responses politically motivated?
  
• Are national competition authorities adequately equipped to address the challenges of regulating digital markets that operate across jurisdictions?
  
• What collaborative mechanisms, such as international agreements or regulatory dialogues, might help promote consistency and fairness in enforcement?
  
• Looking ahead, how can a modern competition policy framework navigate geopolitical realities while supporting open, dynamic, and innovative markets?