Chrome Takeover: AI Startups Eye Google’s Crown in Search

A fresh chapter is unfolding in the browser wars—and this time, the stakes are higher than ever. Artificial intelligence startups aren’t just competing on features or user growth anymore. They’re aiming straight for the jugular: control of the global search market. And instead of building their way up slowly, they’re making bold acquisition moves.

On August 12, 2025, AI search challenger Perplexity shook the tech world with an unsolicited $34.5 billion cash offer to buy Google’s Chrome browser. For a company that built its reputation by answering questions with transparent links back to original sources, this wasn’t just a business move—it was a declaration of intent: AI is ready to claim the browser as its own.

The timing is no accident. Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) ordered Google to break off Chrome after a landmark antitrust ruling found the company guilty of running an illegal monopoly in internet search. That ruling cracked open a door that had long seemed sealed shut. Even OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, signaled interest in acquiring Chrome if the opportunity arose.

For regulators, this is about fairness. The DOJ argued that splitting Chrome from Google would finally allow true competition, giving rivals the chance to access the browser millions rely on as their entry point to the web. For the AI world, it’s much bigger: whoever owns the browser controls not just search, but the flow of user data—the fuel that powers smarter AI, personalized experiences, and ultimately, stronger business models.

And here’s where it gets interesting. With Perplexity stepping up and OpenAI already circling, the industry is bracing for a possible rush. Will other AI startups jump into the fight for Chrome? Or even pivot toward snapping up other gateways like social platforms or niche browsers?

The browser isn’t just software anymore. It’s the front door to the internet—and in an AI-first world, that door could decide who gets to shape how billions of people search, shop, and interact online.

Chrome Takeover: AI Startups Eye Google’s Crown in Search

Key Takeaways:

Perplexity’s $34.5B bid for Chrome signals that AI startups are no longer just challengers—they’re gunning for control of the web’s most important access point.

Browser ownership equals data control. Whoever controls Chrome gains direct access to user behavior, powering stronger personalization and advertising revenue.

Data means better AI. Browsing patterns feed models, improving how AI agents predict, personalize, and interact with users.

Acquisitions > organic growth. Buying an established browser or platform offers AI startups instant scale that would take years to build from scratch.

AI agents are the next frontier. Embedding them inside browsers could permanently change how people search, transact, and navigate digital life.

Buying Their Way In: How AI Firms Are Eyeing Search Through Acquisitions

Right now, companies like Anthropic and Mistral aren’t trying to buy web browsers outright. Still, they’ve quietly slipped browsing features into their AI assistants. The bigger picture? AI firms want more than just to answer questions—they want a firm grip on search itself. And that could completely change the way all of us navigate the internet.

Take Perplexity’s bold, unsolicited bid for Google Chrome. According to Nick Grous and Jozef Soja at ARK Invest, this wasn’t about owning a browser for the sake of it—it was about distribution. In their words:

“Even if the deal never closes, Perplexity’s intentions are clear. They don’t believe going head-to-head with Google on organic growth alone is enough. To break Google’s dominance, they’re ready to buy their way into users’ daily lives.”

Think about what that means. If Perplexity managed to bake its AI-powered search directly into Chrome, it could catch users right at the moment they’re searching—when intent and action are at their peak.

Of course, Perplexity isn’t putting all its eggs in one basket. Just last month, it rolled out Comet, its own browser, complete with an AI assistant built right in. But the reality is clear: Comet is tiny compared to Chrome’s massive reach—3.5 billion users and a commanding 65% share of the global browser market. Chrome is, hands down, one of the most powerful digital distribution machines ever built.

That’s why Perplexity’s $34.5 billion offer turned heads. It’s nearly double its own $18 billion valuation from July, but several VCs have already lined up in support. To put it in perspective, Google currently pays Apple about $21 per Safari user each year just to remain the default search engine. Perplexity is essentially saying: We’ll pay half that—$9 per user—for the chance to control the most important digital gateway in the world.

But Chrome isn’t the only play. Perplexity has been casting a wide net to expand its reach. Earlier this year, it even floated a deal to merge with TikTok—an audacious move that would have given it direct access to hundreds of millions of young, highly active searchers.

And that’s not a wild idea. As analyst Debra Aho Williamson points out, Gen Z already treats TikTok like a search engine. Roughly 60% of Gen Z users say they search on AI platforms weekly—impressive. But an even bigger 86% do their weekly searching on TikTok, and 90% still rely on traditional engines. That overlap shows just how fluid—and competitive—the search landscape has become.

Meanwhile, OpenAI is inching closer to launching its own browser. With more than 500 million weekly active users, that would give it direct access to a goldmine of user data—the very asset that made Google the ad empire it is today.

And let’s not forget, Chrome isn’t just a browser for Google—it’s the foundation of a business worth $67 billion per quarter. Chrome keeps users locked into Google search, funnels data back into Alphabet’s ad systems, and makes sure targeted ads hit the right people at the right time.

If OpenAI or Perplexity manage to shift even part of that equation, the ripple effect could be enormous. Imagine a world where you don’t just search and click links, but where your browser thinks with you—anticipating, acting, even negotiating on your behalf. That’s the future AI firms are racing toward, and buying their way in may be the fastest route to get there.

Turning Browsers into Automated Revenue Engines

The race to dominate generative AI is heating up. Companies like Perplexity, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Meta are pouring billions into infrastructure and talent, offering eye-watering salaries to lure the best minds. It’s more than competition—it’s an all-out war for the future of digital dominance.

And at the center of this battle? Your web browser.

If AI companies can take control of search inside browsers, they unlock a goldmine: new ways to monetize through conversational ads, AI-sponsored results, and intelligent recommendations delivered by digital agents. Beyond revenue, there’s an even bigger prize—data. Every click, query, and behavior fuels smarter, more personalized AI models. This doesn’t just make browsing easier—it blurs the line between searching, shopping, and living online.

Imagine Chrome with a large language model (LLM) embedded deep inside. Suddenly, your browser isn’t just a tool; it’s a personal digital partner. As Darren Kimura, CEO of AI Squared, explained in an interview with Techopedia:

“From an end-user perspective, the models can procure or curate content for you through the browser. Your browser becomes your interface, your activities and behavior patterns become what’s driving it, and behind the scenes are these small language models (SLMs) that live within the browser itself.”

In practice, this means your browser could spin up agents that act on your behalf—navigating websites, making recommendations, or even handling routine tasks—all shaped by your past behavior.

For SaaS providers, this shift is seismic. We’re not just talking about another tool; we’re talking about a platform that could rival Google’s dominance in search and advertising. Kimura put it bluntly:

“This will change everything about the way we work…Verticalization is over. As AI becomes more embedded into our lifestyle and learns more about us, we don’t need to have those vertically specific types of companies anymore.”

Yet, as AI companies push for control, Alphabet faces a balancing act. With the looming antitrust ruling, Google hasn’t revealed how it plans to defend its search empire—or how its AI ambitions might be reshaped in the process.

The Bottom Line

For AI startups, web browsers aren’t just software—they’re the front door to the digital economy. Whoever controls this gateway controls the data, the user experience, and the future of AI integration.

Building a new browser from scratch is risky when Chrome dominates two-thirds of the market. But with antitrust pressure cracking Google’s fortress, the timing has never been better for challengers to make their move.

This battle isn’t just about ad revenue. It’s about embedding AI directly into the way people interact with the web—turning browsers into living, learning partners and, in the process, reshaping the very fabric of the internet.

FAQs

1. Will Perplexity’s $34 billion bid for Google Chrome actually happen?

Highly unlikely. Google hasn’t shown even the slightest interest in selling Chrome, and the bid itself undervalues one of the most powerful products in its ecosystem. Many see this move less as a genuine acquisition attempt and more as a clever publicity play designed to grab attention in the tech world.

2. Why would OpenAI be interested in Chrome?

Because owning or integrating with Chrome would be like having the keys to the world’s digital front door. Chrome isn’t just a browser—it’s where billions of people interact with the web every day. For OpenAI, that means instant access to an enormous stream of user behavior, which could fuel both advertising opportunities and AI model improvements. More importantly, it would give OpenAI a direct path to weave AI assistants seamlessly into daily browsing and search habits, making AI not an add-on, but a natural part of how people use the internet.

3. What are the risks if AI companies take control of web browsers?

This is where the stakes get serious. If AI firms control the very gateway to the internet, they’d hold enormous influence over data, search patterns, and user interactions. While the innovation potential is huge, it raises pressing questions: How safe would your data really be? Could competition be stifled? Would the content you see online be skewed by hidden biases or commercial interests? For businesses and users alike, this concentration of power could reshape the balance of privacy, trust, and fairness in the digital economy.