EU forces Google to let rival AI models run on Android

The European Commission has issued an order requiring Google to permit rival AI models to operate on Android devices on equal footing with Google's own Gemini tool. Under the new regime, competing AI assistants from major players such as Anthropic and OpenAI, as well as French AI startup Mistral, will be able to be preloaded onto Android devices and allow users to operate their smartphones using these third-party AI systems.

The regulatory action stems from a specific competitive harm: Google's exclusive preloading of Gemini onto Android devices has reduced the perceived value of rival third-party AI models for the 60% of EU adults who use Android. By locking users into Gemini from the moment they activate their device, Google has effectively excluded competitors from the most prominent and frictionless entry point for AI interaction on mobile. The Commission's intervention aims to restore genuine choice.

For Mistral, the French startup that has positioned itself as Europe's answer to dominant US AI labs, the order opens a significant distribution channel. Mistral's co-founder has emphasized in remarks to The Economist that Europe must build a sovereign AI ecosystem, particularly as Washington increasingly restricts overseas companies' access to US cutting-edge models. This order creates that opportunity by ensuring Mistral and other non-US AI firms can reach Android users directly and at scale, rather than remaining confined to niche or secondary distribution channels. The ruling reflects the EU's intent to use antitrust enforcement as a tool not just for consumer benefit, but for fostering European technological independence in AI.

The EU's order reflects a broader regulatory and geopolitical shift. Google's practice of preloading Gemini exclusively onto Android devices—used by 60% of EU adults—has effectively locked rivals out of the smartphone interface where AI assistants are increasingly useful. By forcing open access, the Commission removes a structural barrier to competition and gives European AI firms, particularly Mistral, a genuine channel to smartphone users.

The timing underscores a strategic concern articulated by Mistral's leadership: Washington's tightening restrictions on overseas access to US AI models have created an opening for Europe to build its own ecosystem. Mistral, positioned as Europe's closest equivalent to a frontier AI lab, stands to gain substantially from this order, as does OpenAI and Anthropic, whose models can now compete directly on Android without reliance on third-party apps or browser access. The move signals that EU regulators are willing to use antitrust authority to level the playing field—not only for competition's sake, but to foster technological sovereignty.

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