OpenAI wants to buy Chrome if Google is forced to sell

If the U.S. government actually forces Google to break off Chrome, who gets the keys to the front door of the internet? OpenAI just raised its hand.

Testifying in Washington during the Department of Justice's antitrust trial against Google, ChatGPT head of product Nick Turley dropped a major teaser. He stated that OpenAI would be genuinely interested in acquiring the Chrome browser if a federal judge orders Alphabet to spin it off.

The DOJ has pushed hard to detach Chrome from Google, arguing the browser serves as an anticompetitive moat for its search empire. Now, Google's fiercest emerging rival is publicly volunteering to take the prize.

Perplexity takes Google's side

While OpenAI is eyeing an acquisition, another major AI search player is doing the exact opposite.

Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas announced on X that he plans to testify in support of Google against the forced divestiture of Chrome.

Srinivas argued that breaking up Chrome would actually hurt the web ecosystem. He pointed out that Google deserves immense credit for open-sourcing Chromium, the engine that powers Microsoft Edge and Perplexity's upcoming Comet browser.

According to Srinivas, Chrome became dominant because Google executed brilliantly at a scale of billions of users. Stripping it away from Google would jeopardize browser quality.

Instead of breaking up Chrome, Srinivas urged regulators to pry open Android. He wants OEMs to freely offer alternative default search engines and voice assistants without Google threatening to withhold access to the Play Store, Maps, or YouTube.

Why it matters

We think Turley's testimony is a calculated move to show just how hungry OpenAI is for permanent web distribution.

For users and builders, Chrome is still the primary gateway to the internet. If OpenAI somehow acquired Chrome, generative AI would be directly baked into billions of browsing sessions overnight. But don't expect any sudden shifts. Antitrust trials and inevitable appeals take years, meaning Chrome will stay right where it is for the foreseeable future.

OpenAI's stance makes strategic sense because relying purely on standalone apps and web interfaces limits long-term growth. Owning the browser would instantly solve OpenAI's default-distribution dilemma.

However, Perplexity's counterargument hits on a very real risk. Maintaining a global, modern browser engine requires massive engineering resources funded by Google's search cash cow. It is far from certain whether a spinoff Chrome could sustain the open Chromium ecosystem that rivals quietly depend on.