AI firms are proposing multi-billion dollar bids to Google with a singular goal: acquiring the tech behemoth’s web browser, Google Chrome.

Perplexity AI has recently offered more than $34 billion to Google for Chrome. OpenAI, with even greater resources, has also expressed strong interest in acquiring the web browser.

But what drives these colossal AI firms to invest so heavily in a web browser? Is Google Chrome truly on the market?

Reasons AI companies are eager to invest heavily in Chrome

Google’s Chrome web browser features an enormous user base of nearly 3.5 billion individuals. Chrome dominates the search arena, holding nearly 68 percent of the web browser market share.

Chrome is an integral component of Google’s infrastructure, making it exceedingly improbable that Google would willingly part with its Chrome web browser.

Last year, Google faced a major antitrust ruling from the U.S. Department of Justice, which concluded that the tech leader infringed on federal regulations to uphold a monopoly in online searches.

Consequently, the judge intends to dismantle Google’s grip on the market. One recommendation from the DOJ to the judge: compel Google to divest its Chrome web browser.

The courts have yet to make a ruling, but the prospect of Google being forced to sell Chrome has AI corporations eager to obtain it.

What makes Google Chrome essential for Google and AI firms?

Google Chrome’s supremacy in the web browser market is notable, but why is it so critical to Google?

Google oversees the internet’s most utilized web browser. Google sets its search product as the default search engine on Chrome. Google preserves its search engine supremacy. The search product, which is Google’s primary revenue stream, produces hundreds of billions of dollars each year.

For AI firms, powerhouses like OpenAI and Perplexity seek direct access to that user base as they strive to embed AI agents into web browsers. The aspiration for many AI companies is for users to engage with AI chatbots and their features directly from a web browser, without needing to log in to a website or platform. Moreover, AI companies wish to control that user data to enhance their AI chatbots’ training. Some AI firms have already developed their own web browsers to achieve these objectives. Nevertheless, it will require considerable time before any of these browsers can rival Chrome’s market supremacy, if ever.

The pivotal question is whether Google will be obliged to sell Chrome. A ruling from the judge is anticipated soon. Nonetheless, Tom’s Guide consulted with an expert, Info-Tech Research Group analyst Thomas Randall, who indicated that federal regulators are unlikely to sanction the sale of Google Chrome to another technology behemoth, be it in the search or AI domain.

Regardless of the court’s verdict, Google will probably endeavor to keep Chrome and challenge the ruling.