Perplexity bids 34.5 billion for Google Chrome

A surprise bid by AI startup Perplexity to acquire Google Chrome tests the limits of competition in the browser and the web's future.

Perplexity bids 34.5 billion for Google Chrome

Perplexity, an AI start-up, has offered 34.5 billion dollars to acquire Google Chrome, the browser owned by Alphabet. The company says moving Chrome to an independent operator focused on user safety would benefit the public, while Google would keep Chrome's default search status within the browser. Perplexity also promises to maintain Chromium as an open platform and to support continued development of related projects.

Google has not indicated any plans to sell Chrome, and analysts say the bid faces long odds given the antitrust case against the company. Tomasz Tunguz of Theory Ventures says the bid is unlikely to reflect Chrome's true value, arguing it could be ten times higher. Perplexity did not disclose funding for the bid. The company has recently launched Comet, an AI powered browser, and has drawn interest from Apple and Meta.

The bid highlights a growing clash between large platform owners and challengers who want more open competition in essential internet tools. If regulators weigh in, the future of Chrome and its role in search could reshape browser markets and how users access information.

The outcome will depend on antitrust action, funding plans, and whether Perplexity can deliver a viable governance model that satisfies safety and privacy concerns. The move shows AI firms pushing beyond apps into core web infrastructure, a sign of a wider battle over control of the online ecosystem.

Highlights

The outcome may redefine how big tech negotiates with rivals.