• Perplexity AI has made a $34.5 billion bid for Google's Chrome browser.
• The startup seeks to capitalize on regulatory scrutiny facing Google.
• Perplexity pledges to keep Chromium open source and maintain user choice.
• Analysts doubt Google will sell Chrome due to its integral role in the company's operations.
• A ruling on Google's antitrust case is expected soon, which may impact the deal.

Perplexity AI has formally submitted an unsolicited bid of $34.5 billion to acquire Google's Chrome browser, a significant move aimed at gaining a competitive edge as regulatory scrutiny intensifies around Google's business practices. Notably, Perplexity's own valuation stands much lower, at around $18 billion, highlighting the audacity of this bid, according to Reuters and India Times.

Perplexity’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, indicated that the bid is framed as a potential antitrust remedy, aiming to place Chrome under an independent operator committed to user safety and openness, a proposal that has found both backing and skepticism among market analysts, reports BBC and India Times.

As part of its proposal, Perplexity committed to investing $3 billion into Chrome over two years, ensuring that the underlying codebase, Chromium, remains open source, and making no changes to the default search engine, according to The Jakarta Post and SCMP.

However, analysts believe it improbable that Google would agree to sell Chrome, considering its significance in maintaining Google's dominance in search and online advertising markets. The U.S. Department of Justice has sought a divestiture of Chrome in ongoing antitrust proceedings, a case that has captured national attention and could lead to major consequences for Google, reports Bangkok Post and Bloomberg.

As the AI landscape evolves with fierce competition, including players like OpenAI, Perplexity's audacious move signals the rising ambitions of newer technology companies challenging established giants like Google. The outcome of the antitrust case and the potential for a groundbreaking sale of Chrome may significantly reshape the tech industry, as per insights from Bangkok Post and The Jakarta Post.