US DOJ probes Nvidia’s licensing deal with AI startup Groq, NYT reports

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating whether Nvidia Corp. attempted to circumvent antitrust scrutiny in connection with its licensing agreement last year with artificial intelligence chip startup Groq, according to a report from The New York Times citing sources familiar with the matter. The regulatory probe underscores escalating government scrutiny over Nvidia's dominant market position in the AI chip and accelerator sector. Authorities are increasingly examining whether major technology leaders use strategic partnerships, licensing structures, or talent acquisition deals to consolidate market control and bypass conventional merger review processes. Nvidia shares traded down nearly 1% following the report, reflecting heightened investor sensitivity to regulatory and legal headwinds. Ongoing regulatory inquiries could introduce legal compliance hurdles and potentially limit the chipmaker's strategic flexibility in pursuing licensing agreements and collaborations within the rapidly evolving AI infrastructure ecosystem.