AI start-up Perplexity makes surprise $34.5bn bid for Google Chrome

Artificial intelligence (AI) start-up Perplexity has made a surprise $34.5bn (£25.6bn) takeover offer for Google’s Chrome internet browser.

Moving Chrome to an independent operator committed to user safety would benefit the public, Perplexity said in a letter to Sundar Pichai, the boss of Google’s owner Alphabet.

Google’s dominance of the search engine and online advertising market has come under intense scrutiny, with the technology giant facing a years-long antitrust case brought by the US Department of Justice.

The BBC has contacted Google for comment. The firm has not announced any plans to sell Chrome – the world’s most popular web browser with an estimated three billion-plus users.

A US federal judge is expected to issue a ruling this month that could see Google being ordered to break up its search business.

The company has said it would appeal such a ruling, saying the idea of spinning off Chrome was an “unprecedented proposal” that would harm consumers and security.

Perplexity’s app is among the rising players in the generative AI race, alongside more well-known platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.

Last month, Perplexity launched an AI-powered browser called Comet.

The bid marks an “important commitment to the open web, user choice, and continuity for everyone who has chosen Chrome,” a spokesman for Perplexity told the BBC.

As part of the proposed takeover, Perplexity said it would continue to have Google as the default search engine within Chrome, though users could adjust their settings.

The firm said it would also maintain and support Chromium, a widely-used open-source platform that supports Chrome and other browsers including Microsoft Edge and Opera.

Perplexity did not respond to queries on how the proposed deal would be funded. In July, it had an estimated value of $18bn.

The company made headlines earlier this year after offering to buy the American version of TikTok, which faces a deadline in September to be sold by its Chinese owner or be banned in the US.

Perplexity has reportedly drawn interest from technology giants including Apple and Facebook-owner Meta.