In a power move, that’s unarguably a long shot, Perplexity AI makes a bid for Google Chrome. And definitely stirred some mixed emotions across the market.
The market didn’t know that Google Chrome was up for sale, and several Wall Street investors chimed in. And the majority of them are unclear on whether Google Chrome’s true worth lies- at $34.5 billion?
Perplexity, the popular AI startup focused on user safety, has made a fascinating move and made an unsolicited bid on Google Chrome. In a letter to Sundar Pichai, Perplexity writes that moving Chrome to an independent owner that prioritizes user privacy would serve the general public.
This staggering step by Perplexity concretizes its promise to deliver on and commit to user choice, open web, and seamless continuity for everyone who has been using Chrome. But experts from Bloomberg argue that while this offer is an “eye-popping” one, it’s also a long shot.
It could potentially be in response to the US government’s antitrust proceedings against Google, where a judge was asked to rule that the tech powerhouse put Chrome up for sale.
The search engine’s users are at the nexus of this proposal. So, technically, Perplexity is bidding on Chrome’s user base. As part of this takeover, the AI startup guarantees that it’ll retain Google as the default search engine within Chrome, while also allowing users to change it in Settings.
Additionally, it would also manage Chromium, the open-source software that supports Google Chrome and other significant browsers such as Opera and Microsoft Edge.
But Perplexity’s bid is being met with serious scrutiny from tech experts and investors.
Previously thought to have an estimated value of $18 billion, the market is curious to know how the Comet developer would fund this takeover. But the Perplexity has said that it has investors interested if the deal goes through.
While one investor called this proposal a stunt, others asserted that these figures are way below Chrome’s true value. That its actual worth would surpass the figures by 10 times of what Perplexity has proposed, or even more.
It dribbles down to Google Chrome’s reach and audience.
In an alternate reality, it could offer Perplexity access to over 3.5 billion users if the bid went through. And fast-track its path to AI-powered search dominance, while also focusing on its venture to amalgamate AI with key Internet functionalities.
“They want to inject their advanced AI capabilities into an interface we all use every day. And put their abilities at the forefront, giving them a major head start. But we don’t think they have that kind of money currently.” – Bloomberg source reports.
With this move, Perplexity wishes to demonstrate that it is a reliable steward for Google Chrome.
So, if Perplexity is keen on tapping this potential, maybe investors are hitting the mark- the AI competitor has to ramp up its game. Especially if it’s up against tech giants such as Meta and Apple, with OpenAI also illustrating keen interest.
However, Google has not announced any significant plans to sell its web browser. And actually plans to appeal the US court’s ruling that scrutinized Chrome’s unlawful monopoly on online search.