Google may be forced to sell Chrome, and Sam Altman has publicly expressed interest in bidding, with antitrust issues potentially adding significant leverage to the AI industry. (Background: Perplexity offered $34.5 billion to acquire the Chrome browser, an AI search engine's battle against a giant) (Context: Google Chrome warns Chunghwa Telecom of 'lack of integrity': TLS certificate trust will be suspended from 8/1, and many web pages will become unreadable) The U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Google has reached a critical stage, leading to speculation about the most extreme scenario: the U.S. compelling the sale of the Chrome browser, which holds over 60% of the global market share. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman quickly stated his intention to acquire it during an interview, making this potential battle for the browser worth billions a focal point in Silicon Valley and Wall Street. The lawsuit pressure puts Chrome on the trading table. The Verge reports that the U.S. Department of Justice believes Google's behavior in the search and advertising market has long suppressed competition, and splitting the traffic entrance is seen as a structural remedy. If the court ultimately agrees, Chrome will become one of the rare star products forced to separate from its parent company due to antitrust issues. Chrome currently holds a market share of between 60% and 70%, controlling a vast amount of browsing behavior data, which is a key foundation for Google's advertising and AI services. Losing control of the browser would require Google to rethink its search and advertising technology strategy and would also provide opportunities for other competitors. Previously, Perplexity AI had proposed an offer of about $34.5 billion, and Search.com was rumored to have an informal bid of $35 billion, indicating a consensus on the high valuation of browser entry points. Why does Sam Altman want Chrome? Since the rise of generative AI, Altman has repeatedly emphasized the goal of bringing artificial intelligence 'to the first interface that every user opens daily.' He previously stated: We are building large-scale artificial intelligence infrastructure, which is a critical step for the company's development. Our goal is to make artificial intelligence ubiquitous and bring tremendous benefits to humanity. In OpenAI's view, deeply embedding ChatGPT and subsequent models into Chrome could provide instant access to anonymized interaction data, optimize language models, and create a more personalized web experience for users. This not only extends OpenAI's service reach but also allows the company to upgrade from a cloud API provider to a platform operator controlling the terminal entry point. OpenAI's expansion strategy has long been in the works; they are pushing for the construction of trillion-dollar AI data centers and have even invested in brain-computer interface startup Merge Labs. Acquiring Chrome would connect these plans, forming a complete ecosystem of software and hardware integration. The bidding war and legal processes run concurrently. To secure Chrome, OpenAI still faces three major challenges. First is the lawsuit outcome. Google and its legal team have indicated that splitting the browser could disrupt the global internet ecosystem, and ongoing legal battles are expected at different levels, making this potential forced transaction highly variable. Second is financial strength; Perplexity AI is backed by investors like Nvidia and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, while Search.com has JPMorgan behind it. In comparison, OpenAI must balance its substantial infrastructure plans with the potential browser acquisition and secure significant funding that complies with regulatory standards. The third challenge is integration risk; the open-source core of Chrome is closely tied to Google services, and once transferred, search defaults, privacy policies, and ad networks would need to be renegotiated. If a new buyer adjusts data access methods, it would directly impact global ad market revenue sharing. Related reports: Is the counterfeit season really here? Google's search for 'Altcoin' hits a 7-year high, but the main source comes from African countries. A single sentence constructs an infinite digital world! Google's world model 'Genie 3' is not a game engine, but the final gateway to AI divinity. Google short URL service is shutting down! Billions of links from Goo.gl will become invalid, what are the backup plans? 'OpenAI's Sam Altman: I am interested in acquiring Google Chrome! Competing in the battle for the largest browser market share' this article was first published in BlockTempo (the most influential blockchain news media).

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