TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed that the company is interested in acquiring Google Chrome if Chrome's parent company, Alphabet Inc., is compelled to sell the browser due to an antitrust trial.
According to Mint, in an interview with Ina Fried from Axios, Altman mentioned that OpenAI's interest in Chrome is not much different from their interest in Perplexity. OpenAI will consider purchasing the Chrome browser if Alphabet is required to divest it as part of an antitrust court decision.
Altman stated, "If Chrome is really going to sell, we should take a look at it." Although he did not provide specific figures regarding the offer or further details.
Despite the offer from OpenAI to buy Chrome still being far from reality, the possibility of this acquisition seems more realistic compared to similar offers from their competitor, Perplexity AI.
Previously, as quoted by Techcrunch, Perplexity made an offer of US$34.5 billion to purchase Chrome. The offer was presented by Perplexity's CEO, Aravind Srinivas, who argued that the acquisition would support the principles of the open internet. Search.com, backed by JPMorgan Chase, then made a counteroffer of $35 billion, intensifying the competition to dominate one of the world's most widely used browsers.
Altman explained that the potential acquisition of Chrome is part of OpenAI's strategic move to expand a larger role in the digital world. With the rapid development of ChatGPT and the increasing implementation of AI technology in everyday life, OpenAI's decision to purchase Chrome can be viewed as an attempt to increase its influence over key aspects of users' interactions with the internet.
Sam Altman also stated that acquiring Chrome would be a strategic move if it aligns with his company's long-term mission and goals.
However, despite this intriguing possibility, industry analysts remain cautious in assessing its feasibility. Although the technology market has not yet shown a significant reaction to this speculation, the outcome of the antitrust regulatory processes will greatly affect the acquisition's feasibility and likelihood. Based on past experiences, such as Microsoft's case with Internet Explorer, antitrust court decisions typically result in structural changes rather than full divestitures. This indicates that every step of the acquisition process will be complex and have an impact on market competition.
Looking ahead, many await the regulatory decisions to be made. If Alphabet is indeed forced to sell Chrome, the company may have to overhaul its primary web-based offerings. In this case, OpenAI, Perplexity AI, and other companies could become potential replacements. However, to date, no official offers have been submitted, and there is no clear timeline on when decisions regarding the future of Chrome will be made.
Meanwhile, Sam Altman also confirmed that OpenAI is working on developing its AI-based browser. Fidji Simo's appointment as CEO of OpenAI's applications suggests that the company is shifting its focus to developing various consumer applications beyond ChatGPT. This indicates OpenAI's ambition to influence the development of the digital world.