Could Perplexity AI Really Take Over Chrome? What It Might Mean for Search

When news broke that Perplexity AI had made a $34.5 billion unsolicited bid for Google’s Chrome browser, the industry reaction ranged from disbelief to curiosity. While the likelihood of Google agreeing is slim, the idea alone invites us to think about a future where the world’s most-used browser is in the hands of an AI-first company.

This is more than a corporate play, it’s a glimpse into how search, user choice, and the balance of power online could shift if such a deal ever went through.

The Bid That Turned Heads

Perplexity’s proposal, sent directly to Google’s leadership, outlined a vision for Chrome as an independent platform focused on openness, user safety, and choice. The offer kept Google as the default search engine but left the door open for competition.

At face value, the numbers raise eyebrows. Perplexity’s last valuation was around $18 billion, which makes offering nearly double that for Chrome as much a strategic statement as a financial move. This isn’t just about ownership, it’s about influencing the narrative at a time when Google faces mounting antitrust pressure.

Why Chrome Matters

Chrome isn’t just a browser. It’s the digital front door for billions of people. Its dominance has made it one of the most valuable channels for directing search traffic and capturing user data.

Owning Chrome means controlling the point of entry to the web for a huge percentage of global internet users. It also means shaping which search engines, AI assistants, and digital services people naturally gravitate towards.

In many ways, Chrome is more than a product, it’s an ecosystem. And ecosystems don’t change hands lightly.

The Legal and Regulatory Backdrop

This bid doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Google is already under heavy scrutiny from regulators in the US and EU, particularly around whether its dominance in search is unfairly reinforced by its browser and Android operating system.

In the US, an antitrust ruling expected later this month could even order structural changes to separate Chrome from Google’s search business. If that happens, Perplexity’s offer suddenly looks less like a moonshot and more like a well-timed alternative.

If It Happened, How Search Could Change

The idea of Chrome in the hands of an AI-driven company opens up a world of hypotheticals. Here’s how it could reshape search for both users and businesses.

More Search Choice by Default

One of the first moves could be breaking the automatic link between Chrome and Google Search. Instead, new installations might prompt users to choose from multiple search providers, putting Bing, DuckDuckGo, and even emerging AI-first engines on equal footing.

For marketers, that would mean diversifying SEO strategies and not relying solely on Google’s algorithm for visibility.

Privacy as a Selling Point

Perplexity has made privacy a talking point in its positioning. Chrome could adopt stronger privacy settings as default, reduce tracking by advertisers, and make data usage far more transparent.

This could also shift advertising strategies away from hyper-targeted ads toward contextual targeting and brand-building content.

AI at the Centre of Search

Perplexity’s own product blends AI-powered summarisation with source linking. In a Perplexity-owned Chrome, search might feel less like scrolling through lists of links and more like engaging in a conversation where answers are given directly, with the option to explore deeper.

This would accelerate the shift from link-based SEO to structured, answer-ready content designed for AI interpretation.

New Economics of Search Deals

Google reportedly spends billions each year to secure default search positions across browsers and devices. If Chrome’s defaults were open to bidding, it could introduce a more competitive and fragmented search market, where multiple engines compete for visibility.

That would have ripple effects on ad pricing, affiliate marketing, and even how brands calculate customer acquisition costs.

A More Competitive Search Ecosystem

If Chrome became a neutral platform rather than a Google-owned asset, other search players could gain meaningful market share. This could spur innovation in areas like visual search, voice search, and multimodal AI answers.

It could also create a more balanced environment for niche search tools—such as academic, regional, or privacy-first engines—that currently struggle for user adoption.

Beyond the Browser: Wider Impacts

The effects wouldn’t stop at search.

• Web standards and developer priorities could shift if Chrome’s leadership changes, affecting how websites are built and optimised.

• Advertising platforms might adjust budgets toward multiple search ecosystems instead of concentrating on Google Ads.

• User expectations could evolve toward faster, more transparent search experiences, forcing slower-moving competitors to adapt.

Even hardware could feel the impact. Devices optimised for Chrome-based workflows might be marketed with AI-first features, blurring the line between browser and assistant.

The Reality Check

While the concept is intriguing, the likelihood of this deal closing is extremely low. Chrome is too central to Google’s business model, and selling it would mean losing control over one of the most important gateways to its search dominance.

That said, even an unlikely bid can influence the conversation. Perplexity has put pressure on the status quo, highlighting that the ownership and neutrality of web gateways is now a mainstream debate.

Three Future Scenarios If Chrome Changed Hands

If we extend the thought experiment, several possible futures emerge.

1. The Multi-Search Default Era

Chrome could launch with a rotating panel of default search engines, giving each an equal share of new user attention. This would not only reduce Google’s market share but also reshape how content strategies are built. Instead of optimising for one dominant algorithm, brands would need multi-engine playbooks from day one.

The upside for users would be variety. The challenge for businesses would be resource allocation, ensuring visibility across several platforms without diluting results.

2. The AI-First Browser Experience

Search could become a side feature rather than the centre of the browsing experience. Instead, AI could sit at the top of the interface, ready to answer questions, summarise articles, and suggest related content before the user even searches.

This model would blur the line between browser, assistant, and operating system. It could also make traditional web navigation feel outdated, echoing the same disruption AI is already bringing to homepages.

3. The Privacy-Driven Marketing Shift

If Chrome adopted strict privacy defaults, blocking third-party tracking, limiting ad targeting, and making consent explicit, marketers would have to return to fundamentals. Content quality, brand loyalty, and direct user engagement would become the primary growth drivers, replacing algorithmic targeting as the main performance lever.

This would push the industry toward more sustainable, trust-based relationships with audiences rather than short-term ad optimisations.

What It Signals for the Future

If nothing else, this moment shows that the era of AI companies challenging the traditional hierarchy of the web is here. Browsers, search engines, and AI assistants are converging into single platforms, and whoever controls them controls the flow of online attention.

It also signals that public and regulatory pressure could one day lead to structural separations in big tech, whether through sales, spinoffs, or mandated interoperability.

The Search Landscape Could Be About to Fragment

Whether or not Perplexity ever owns Chrome, the conversation it has sparked matters. It points toward a future where search is less centralised, more personalised, and shaped by AI at every stage.

For users, that could mean more choice and better privacy. For businesses, it means preparing for a world where winning in search requires visibility across multiple engines and AI platforms, not just Google.

In the end, the bid for Chrome is less about closing a deal and more about opening our imagination to what search could become, and who might lead it there.