The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday sent subpoenas to artificial intelligence companies OpenAI and Anthropic as part of a probe into possible consumer protection violations, Axios first reported. An FTC spokesperson confirmed the subpoenas to CBS News, and the agency declined further comment.

The civil investigative demands, which help the government gather evidence before possible lawsuits, are each more than 50 pages long, Axios reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. They ask for documents about security incidents and safeguards, along with marketing materials and company privacy policies, according to Axios.

The FTC plans to require top AI executives to testify about their products and will send demands to other AI organizations later, Axios reported.

"As we improve our models and they increasingly help people in their day-to-day lives, safety remains a top priority," an OpenAI spokesperson said, Axios reported. "We will engage constructively with the FTC."

The companies have faced scrutiny after several incidents in which their AI models went rogue and hacked into websites, CBS News reported. CBS said the subpoenas came two weeks after the FTC said it was investigating the companies as part of a probe it began this summer.

The FTC can examine business practices that could be seen as unfair or deceptive, such as how companies charge for services or whether they misled users, Axios said. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson has said AI systems should not be released if they are not safe, according to Axios.

A recent AP-NORC poll found that 64% of U.S. adults think AI is developing "too fast," CBS reported. On the same day as the subpoenas, a group of state attorneys general sued OpenAI over the safety of its chatbot, Axios noted.

What we know: The FTC sent long document demands to OpenAI and Anthropic on Wednesday.
What we don't: Whether the probe will lead to charges, or when executives might testify.