Perplexity’s Bold Move : A shocking news is in the news these days in the tech world. Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity has made an all-cash offer of $34.5 billion (about Rs 2.88 lakh crore) to buy Google Chrome. This amount is almost double the value of Perplexity, which is about $18 billion. This move has not only surprised the tech industry but has also raised many questions as to what an emerging AI startup is thinking behind making such a big deal.
Increasing antitrust pressure on Google
This offer of Perplexity has come at a time when Google is facing an antitrust case in the US. Some time ago, the court had convicted Google of having a monopoly in the online search market. Now Judge Amit Mehta is going to decide what steps should be taken in this situation, which also includes the option of selling Google Chrome. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Perplexity has presented itself as a reliable and independent operator that can handle Chrome.
Promises made with the offer
Perplexity has clearly stated in its offer that if it buys Chrome, its open-source version Chromium will remain open-source forever. Apart from this, the company is promising to invest $3 billion on the development of Chrome and Chromium in the next two years. Also, Google will be kept as the default search engine, although users will be able to change it if they want.
Is this deal really possible?
Many industry experts are doubting this offer. Some believe that this is just a publicity stunt to bring Perplexity into the limelight. According to analysts, the real price of Chrome can be more than $50 billion, in such a situation this offer will not be attractive for Google. At the same time, some experts say that this move of Perplexity is to show both the court and the public that if Chrome has to be sold, then it has a strong plan.
Google’s response and way forward
Google has not yet made any official statement on this offer, but the company says that selling Chrome would be harmful to innovation and security. Google is appealing against this decision in the court, due to which this matter can drag on for years. Even if the court orders Google to sell Chrome, it will take a long time for the deal to be finalized due to appeals and legal process.
Possible change in the Internet world
Google Chrome has more than 3 billion users worldwide and it is the biggest player in the browser market. If its ownership changes, then a big change can be seen in the Internet world and the browser industry. Whether this deal becomes a reality or remains just a high-profile discussion, but it is certain that it has attracted the attention of the entire tech industry.