Why Perplexity is going after Google Chrome - and yes, it's serious

• Perplexity makes $34.5B bid to buy Google's Chrome browser.
• Deal would give Perplexity a gateway to the AI-driven web.
• Perplexity's bid could spark a bidding war.

When the Wall Street Journal broke the news that AI company Perplexity made an unsolicited all-cash offer of $34.5 billion to buy Google's Chrome browser, some people asked me, "Are they serious?" Oh, yes, it is.

Also: 5 reasons why I still prefer Perplexity over every other AI chatbot 

In fact, I predicted Perplexity would try to buy the world's most popular web browser in May.

The evidence was there

It's not that I'm a genius. The evidence was already there. Perplexity, the AI-driven search startup, has shown interest in Chrome. Acquiring Chrome would provide Perplexity with a shortcut to user acquisition and enhance data collection for targeted advertising.

Even now, Perplexity ...