Google's lead EU privacy regulator opened an inquiry on Thursday into whether the search engine giant adequately protected European Union users' personal data before using it to help develop its foundational AI Model.

European Union regulators say they’re looking into one of Google’s artificial intelligence models over concerns about its compliance with the bloc’s strict data privacy rules

Google is under investigation by Europe’s privacy watchdog over its processing of personal data in the development of one of its artificial intelligence models, as regulators ramp up their scrutiny of Big Tech’s AI ambitions.

An Irish regulator helping to police European Union data privacy on Thursday launched an investigation into Google's artificial intelligence development.The Irish regulator said that its inquiry "concerns the question of whether Google has complied with any obligations that it may have had to undertake" under the EU's strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

This adds to the mounting legal challenges for the search engine giant, which is currently facing an antitrust trial in the US.

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has initiated a cross-border investigation into Google Ireland Limited over data protection concerns. The investigation focuses on the firm’s use of personal data in developing its Pathways Language Model 2.

The inquiry, initiated by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC), forms part of broader efforts by national regulators across the EU to assess how AI systems manage personal data.