The AI firm Perplexity has made a $34.5 billion offer for Google’s Chrome browser

According to multiple media sources, the AI firm Perplexity has offered $34.5 billion for Google’s Chrome browser. Meanwhile, a judge is contemplating whether to compel Google to spin off Chrome, following a determination that Google holds a monopoly on online advertising technology.

In April, a US district judge ruled that Google “deliberately engaged in a series of anti-competitive acts” to maintain a monopoly in the search market, upholding an earlier ruling last year that said Google used exclusive distribution agreements and “supra-competitive pricing” that led to “anti-competitive behavior.”

Federal prosecutors have pushed for the sale of Chrome, claiming that the browser has “strengthened” Google’s dominance in the search market; a court decision is expected this month, according to several media outlets.

Perplexity, which recently secured $100 million in funding, raising its valuation to $18 billion, stated in a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai that the bid for Chrome is “designed to satisfy an antitrust solution” by putting Chrome under “a capable and independent operator,” according to the Journal.

Google has strongly opposed the sale of Chrome, arguing that such a move would “harm consumers, developers, and American technological leadership precisely when it is most needed.” The tech giant has also said that spinning off parts of its business would “break it apart.” In an April court ruling against Google, the judge said the company eliminated competitors through acquisitions and “entrenched its monopoly power by imposing anti-competitive policies on its customers and removing desirable product features.”