
Perplexity AI, a three-year-old firm backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and chip-maker Nvidia, has made a stunning announcement by offering $34.5 billion to acquire the world’s most widely used web browser, Google Chrome. This unprecedented bid is set to send shockwaves throughout the tech industry.
The offer comes at a time when Google faces mounting scrutiny over its dominance in search engine and online advertising markets, including two ongoing antitrust cases in the United States. Any potential sale of Chrome would have significant implications for the company’s structure and operations.
While Perplexity has been making waves in the generative AI space, competing alongside platforms such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, the sudden bid raises eyebrows among industry experts. The offer is not only unprecedented but also questions whether Chrome can be purchased at this price. Industry analysts have questioned the legitimacy of the proposal, calling it a stunt that significantly undervalues the potential value of the platform.
Despite these concerns, Perplexity has pledged to maintain Google’s status quo in terms of search engine defaults and browser functionality. The company emphasized its commitment to the open web and user choice, ensuring that users are free to adjust their settings at will.
Source: coincentral.com