Artificial intelligence start-up Perplexity AI has made a surprise $34.5bn (£25.6bn) takeover bid for the world’s most popular web browser, Google Chrome.
The three-year-old firm, whose backers include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and chip maker Nvidia, is headed by a former Google and OpenAI employee.
But one technology industry investor called the offer a “stunt” that is a much lower than Chrome’s true value and highlighted it is not clear whether the platform is even for sale.
The BBC has contacted Google for comment.
A US federal judge is expected to issue a ruling this month that could see Google being ordered to break up its search business.
If they at least did 100-200bn… But this is probably mostly to signal to the US courts that there are parties interested/fianancially able to buy Chrome and to establish them as a bidder when/if Chrome actually should be sold. Also, just getting attention on Perplexity AI whose products are losing comparative advantage rapidly as the AI firms add search capability to their models.
The US is taking a cut from chip sales (Nvidia and AMD) to China - what does it mean?
Unusual. Quid pro quo. Unprecedented.
That is some of the reaction to news that two of the world’s tech giants will pay the US government 15% of their revenue from selling certain advanced chips to China. Industry watchers, former government advisers, policy makers and trade experts have been giving their views on the deal.
The news comes mere months after the Trump administration banned the sale of these chips to China, citing national security concerns.
That ban was lifted in mid-July. And now it seems the US government will go a step further - becoming a part of these American firms’ business with China.
And critics argue that is both confusing and worrying.
