In the shadow of artificial intelligence's rapid ascent, the Department of Justice has turned its gaze toward a licensing arrangement between Nvidia and AI chip startup Groq — a quiet commercial agreement that regulators now suspect may carry the weight of market foreclosure. The investigation, reported by the New York Times, reflects a deepening conviction among antitrust enforcers that dominance in foundational technology is not merely a market condition but a lever, one that can quietly reshape the competitive landscape through contractual terms rather than open conflict. At stake is a ques