Is Google’s Chrome the Next Battleground in the AI Browser Wars?

Antitrust trials, AI startups, and a browser showdown—Google’s search dominance is sparking a Silicon Valley power struggle. During Google’s landmark antitrust trial, AI startup Perplexity dropped a bombshell: It’d consider buying Chrome if Google is forced to sell it. But there’s a catch—they’d rather Google keep the browser than let rivals like OpenAI snatch it. Meanwhile, Perplexity is quietly building its own Chromium-based alternative, Comet. Is this the start of a new browser war? Let’s dive in.

🌐 The Problem: Google’s Iron Grip on Search—and Browsers

• 🚨 Exclusive Deals Lock Out Competitors: Perplexity’s CBO Dmitry Shevelenko testified that Google’s contracts with phone makers and carriers block rivals from securing default search placements—even on Android.
• 🤖 OpenAI’soming for Dominance: OpenAI execs previously stated they’d bid for Chrome if divested, raising fears about control over Chromium’s open-source ecosystem.
• 💸 Perplexity’s Uphill Battle: Despite claiming it could run Chrome at scale, the AI underdog lacks Google’s resources—its revenue-sharing deals with device makers remain unbroken.

✅ The Solution: Perplexity’s Comet and the Chromium Gambit

• 🚀 Comet Browser: Perplexity is developing a Chromium-based browser to bypass reliance on Google’s ecosystem, aiming to integrate its search AI natively.
• 🔓 Open-Source Advocacy: Shevelenko argued Google should retain Chrome to maintain Chromium’s development, calling for antitrust remedies that don’t “cripple” its innovation.
• 🤝 Strategic Flexibility: The startup has also considered buying TikTok if banned in the U.S., showing its appetite for high-risk, high-reward plays.

⚠️ Challenges: Funding, Feuds, and Fragmentation

• 💰 Who Can Afford Chrome? Neither Perplexity nor OpenAI has disclosed funds for a multi-billion-dollar acquisition—Google’s browser is deeply integrated with its ad empire.
• 📱 Default Search Wars: Phone makers fear losing Google’s revenue share (reportedly $26B annually) by partnering with Perplexity, per Shevelenko’s testimony.
• ⚖️ Regulatory Uncertainty: The DOJ wants Google’s distribution deals unwound, but fragmented browser control could slow Chromium updates for all.

🚀 Final Thoughts: A High-Stakes Game of Browser Chess

Perplexity’s move highlights a growing tension: AI startups need open ecosystems to compete, but Big Tech’s moats run deep. Success hinges on:

• 📈 Comet’s Launch: Can it rival Chrome’s speed and extension ecosystem while adding AI value?
• 🤝 Regulatory Boldness: Will courts break Google’s default search deals without destabilizing Chromium?
• 🛡️ OpenAI’s Ambitions: If Microsoft-backed OpenAI acquires Chrome, does that just swap one monopoly for another?

As Shevelenko noted, “We want to be reasonable”—but in the AI gold rush, reason often takes a backseat to ambition. Will Comet rise, or will this trial just reshuffle the deck among giants?

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Sources: Trishla Ostwal. Perplexity Would Also Consider Buying Google’s Chrome, Raises Concerns About OpenAI's Bid, September 2023. https://www.adweek.com/media/perplexity-googles-chrome-openai/