AI startup Perplexity makes bold $34.5 billion bid for Google's Chrome browser

Perplexity AI’s Unsolicited $34.5 Billion Offer Targets Chrome Amid Antitrust Pressure

What Happened

Perplexity AI has made an unsolicited offer of $34.5 billion to acquire Google’s Chrome browser, positioning the move as a transformative bet on the future of web access and AI-assisted search.

Why It Matters

• Strategic timing: The bid lands as U.S. antitrust pressure raises the possibility that Google could be compelled to divest parts of its search ecosystem, including Chrome.
• Search disruption: Owning Chrome would give Perplexity a powerful distribution channel to integrate AI-native search experiences directly into the browser interface.
• Competitive ripple effects: The offer intensifies competition among AI companies and incumbents in a browser market that shapes how billions access information.

Deal Structure and Commitments

• Offer size: $34.5 billion, structured as a cash proposal.
• Investment plan: Perplexity says it would commit additional multi-year investments into Chrome and the open-source Chromium project to sustain compatibility, performance, and developer support.
• Talent continuity: The company indicated it would aim to retain a substantial portion of Chrome’s engineering and product teams to ensure continuity and roadmap stability.

Regulatory and Market Context

• Antitrust backdrop: U.S. regulators have intensified scrutiny of Google’s search and browser bundling practices, increasing the plausibility—though not the certainty—of structural remedies.
• Open-source implications: Any transition would need to preserve Chromium’s open-source governance model and ecosystem, minimizing disruption for developers and enterprise adopters.
• Default search dynamics: A change in Chrome ownership could reshape default search agreements and revenue-sharing models across platforms and regions.

How Perplexity Could Integrate AI

• AI-native browsing: Deep integration of conversational retrieval, real-time summarization, and trustworthy citations at the browser level.
• User control: Granular privacy settings for on-device inference, cloud enhancements, and data sharing opt-ins.
• Developer tooling: Expanded APIs and extensions enabling AI workflows, with guardrails for content authenticity and attribution.

Industry Reactions and Next Steps

• Google’s stance: Google has not indicated any willingness to sell Chrome, and is expected to contest both the premise and the practicality of such a divestiture.
• Competitive interest: Rival AI companies—such as ChatGPT backers—are closely watching, given the strategic value of browser distribution in the AI era.
• What’s next: The proposal will likely trigger regulatory, technical, and financial diligence, with outcomes dependent on court timelines and Alphabet’s response.