France: Competition Authority opened consultation as part of inquiry into competitive functioning of conversational agent sector

On 29 January 2026, the Competition Authority opened a public consultation on the ex officio inquiry into the competitive functioning of the chatbot sector until 6 March 2026. The consultation seeks information from industry stakeholders, including generative artificial intelligence (AI) service providers, cloud infrastructure providers, e-tailers, and customers. The consultation aims to gather data on the current competitive landscape in France concerning the conversational agent sector. It excludes the relationship between agents and search engines from its scope. The questionnaire addresses the definitions of conversational agents and the identification of major market participants and their respective advantages. It examines potential barriers to entry such as access to data, computing power, and capital. Specific themes include the potential for integration of chatbot services into existing services of vertically integrated companies, like office suites or messaging platforms, and the resulting competitive risks or interoperability challenges under frameworks such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the AI Act. Furthermore, the Authority explores monetisation models involving token billing, subscriptions, and advertising, alongside the transformation of chatbots into platforms that provide direct access to third-party services. It explores a model of online commerce where AI-powered conversational agents (chatbots, AI assistants) act as autonomous or semi-autonomous intermediaries to facilitate, recommend, negotiate, and complete transactions on behalf of users, termed 'agentic trade'. Questions on agentic trade cover the comparison between French and American customer adoption, the impact on traditional online commerce traffic, and strategies for brand visibility. The Authority requests information on remuneration methods for agents, interoperability standards such as the Universal Commerce Protocol, and the potential for algorithmic collusion. Finally, stakeholders are invited to provide recommendations on the suitability of the current legislative framework and the future evolution of the sector. Contributions are intended to inform the preparation of a formal opinion.