Acquiring Chrome Browser May Shape Perplexity AI's Future Aspirations in Search Engine Domain
In an unexpected turn of events, AI startup Perplexity, valued at around $18 billion, has made a $34.5 billion all-cash offer to purchase Google's Chrome browser. This bid, made in August 2025, is not just a business move but seems to be a strategic marketing effort to boost Perplexity's public profile and spotlight its own AI-powered browser, Comet.
The offer comes amidst ongoing antitrust litigation between Google and the U.S. Department of Justice. Perplexity's bid is framed explicitly as an "asset sale tailored to satisfy remedy requirements" related to this antitrust case. If successful, the acquisition could represent a novel regulatory remedy—selling a major browser to a much smaller but innovative AI startup to reduce concentration in the browser market.
Perplexity touts Comet as a next-generation AI-enhanced browser, integrating conversational AI directly and fundamentally into the user experience. Features such as content summarisation, tab comparison, automation of tasks, and continuous AI assistance are still only partially present or add-ons in Chrome.
The startup intends to retain much of Chrome's existing team if the acquisition is successful, signaling to the court that a credible buyer is ready if a sale is ordered. However, analysts believe the court will opt for lighter remedies, like loosening default search contracts, rather than forcing a full divestiture.
Should Perplexity acquire Chrome, it could accelerate the shift toward AI-first browsers, fundamentally altering how users interact with the web by blending search, browsing, and AI assistance seamlessly. This could challenge Google's dominance or force Google to innovate faster.
Google's dominance in online search is under scrutiny due to a federal judge's ruling that the company had illegally monopolized online search. Chrome, used by approximately 3.5 billion users, holds a powerful position in the tech space, similar to iOS, Android, or TikTok's algorithm. For Perplexity, acquiring Chrome could instantly embed its technology into the daily habits of billions instead of its current 22 million users.
In the AI era, browsers are turning into platforms where digital assistants can handle various tasks without the user leaving the page. Perplexity plans to keep Google as the default search engine initially, while investing $3 billion in Chrome and Chromium over two years. The acquisition attempt or calculated move by Perplexity has inserted the company into the heart of the antitrust conversation.
Analysts believe the offer underestimates Chrome's true value, which they estimate to be around $100 billion. Google, however, has shown no willingness to sell Chrome. The outcome of this bid could reshape browser technology and competitive dynamics in both AI and internet platforms.
Perplexity's strategic move to purchase Google's Chrome browser for $34.5 billion, if successful, could signal a shift in the browser market, demonstrating that technology and AI-focused businesses are increasingly investing in this critical area of business. If the acquisition goes through, the integration of Comet's AI-powered features with Chrome's vast user base of 3.5 billion could challenge Google's dominance in the online search and browser market, forcing the company to innovate faster or potentially alter their business strategy.
