Artificial intelligence start-up Perplexity AI has made an unexpected $34.5bn (£25.6bn) takeover bid for Google’s popular web browser, Google Chrome. The three-year-old firm is backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and chip maker Nvidia.
Perplexity’s CEO is a former Google employee, and the company claims its offer is a commitment to the open web, user choice, and continuity for Chrome users. However, some technology industry investors have called the bid a “stunt” that undervalues Chrome’s worth, citing its massive 3 billion user base.
A US federal judge is set to rule on whether Google should break up its search business, a decision that could impact Chrome’s future. Perplexity says moving Chrome to an independent operator would benefit users and security, while some investors question the bid’s seriousness.
Perplexity has faced controversy in the past, including allegations of copyright infringement. The company has launched an AI-powered browser called Comet and is part of the generative AI race alongside OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
The proposed takeover would see Perplexity continue to use Chrome as its default search engine, while users could adjust settings. The firm also plans to maintain Chromium, a widely-used open-source platform that supports Chrome and other browsers.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3dpr0kkyz4o