APN News, December 08, 2025
To mark World Competition Day on 5th December, Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS International) and CUTS Institute for Regulation and Competition organised a virtual panel discussion on Artificial Intelligence, Consumers and Competition Policy, in collaboration with the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCC).
World Competition Day is celebrated on December 5 every year to commemorate the adoption of the Set of Multilaterally Agreed Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices (commonly known as the UN Set) on this day in 1980.
“Commemorating World Competition Day is a call to action for all stakeholders to adopt, nurture, and strengthen competition frameworks, institutions, and culture to ensure fair and competitive markets,” stated Dr Willard Mwemba, CEO of the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission.
In his address, Dr Mwemba raised pressing questions: How can competition authorities detect and prevent algorithmic collusion? Should access to data be regulated to prevent market foreclosure? What safeguards are needed to protect consumers from AI-driven discrimination? And how can global collaboration be enhanced to address AI-related competition challenges?
The Market Study on AI & Competition by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) served as background and greatly influenced the panel discussions.
Reflecting on the CCI’s AI Market Study, Odie Strydom, Managing Director, Betweenity, South Africa, remarked, “The AI market study points to a noticeable difference between academic expectations and on-ground outcomes.” She further noted, “Considering African market studies, it is essential to examine data objectively, as market concentration does not inherently imply anticompetitive behaviour.”
Echoing this regulatory lens, Mr Rahul Rai, Partner and Co-founder, Axiom5 Law Chambers, observed, “CCI’s AI Market Study should be interpreted through the lens of a regulator, aimed at mapping the emerging landscape and marking the first step towards informed action and future intervention.” He added, “While Indian competition laws are well-equipped to address AI-enabled anticompetitive conduct, establishing ‘intent’ in self-learning algorithmic models poses a significant challenge.”
Moderating the panel, Kazim Rizvi, Founding Director of The Dialogue, sharing a structural perspective, stated, “The further downstream one is in the AI market ecosystem, the less control and bargaining power they hold.” He emphasised, “It is therefore important to examine whether competition policy can effectively address issues of technological and data concentration.”
Speaking in his personal capacity, Leonard Ugbajah, Council Member, ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority, opined, “For different economies in the region, key questions include talent development and training datasets, and how we can harness these to establish our place in the global AI ecosystem.”
Offering an expert legal view, Ms Hemangini Dadwal, Senior Partner, AZB & Partners, commented, “Given the rapid pace of developments in AI, it is essential to draw from engineering expertise and bring technical experts to the table when considering whether AI warrants regulation under competition policy.”
Delivering the closing remarks, Mr Ujjwal Kumar, Associate Director, CUTS International, highlighted the policy imperative, stating, “Beyond their competition regimes, governments must embrace strategic industrial policies to foster more competitive and less concentrated AI markets.”
Welcoming the participants, Ms Varidhi Singh, Director, CUTS International, informed about the CUTS’ campaign, which marks the 16th year of celebrating World Competition Day that advocates for its formal adoption by the United Nations, with support now coming from 65 countries, including 60 competition authorities. “The Member States should support the formal adoption of the World Competition Day during the UN General Assembly,” she made a call.
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