Microsoft and Apple have relinquished their non-voting observer seats on OpenAI's board amid increasing regulatory scrutiny from antitrust authorities in the U.S. and Europe. Microsoft, which invested $13 billion in OpenAI, cited significant improvements in the AI start-up's governance as the reason for its departure. Apple had also planned to integrate ChatGPT into its products but decided against taking a board seat. Authorities are concerned that partnerships between Big Tech and AI startups could stifle competition and innovation. OpenAI will now hold regular meetings with its strategic partners and investors instead of having them as board observers. The decisions by Microsoft and Apple reflect attempts to mitigate regulatory concerns while maintaining their partnerships with OpenAI.