tech

Jon Keegan8/12/25

In a gambit, Perplexity offers $34.5 billion to Google for Chrome browser

AI startup Perplexity is making an improbable offer to buy the Chrome browser from Google. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Perplexity, the AI search and browser startup, is making the unsolicited offer for $34.5 billion, which is roughly double its current $18 billion valuation.

The audacious offer has a slim chance of turning into a deal, but the Journal reports that it might be an attempt to take advantage of a key moment in Google’s federal antitrust trial, where the judge is considering breaking up the tech behemoth, which could include a potential sale of the Chrome browser.

Google has about 90% search engine market share, almost 70% of global browser market share, and Chrome is a key foundation of its massive ad business.

Exclusive | Perplexity Makes Longshot $34.5 Billion Offer for Chrome

Exclusive | Perplexity Makes Longshot $34.5 Billion Offer for Chrome

The audacious offer has a slim chance of turning into a deal, but the Journal reports that it might be an attempt to take advantage of a key moment in Google’s federal antitrust trial, where the judge is considering breaking up the tech behemoth, which could include a potential sale of the Chrome browser.

Google has about 90% search engine market share, almost 70% of global browser market share, and Chrome is a key foundation of its massive ad business.

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Apple reiterates plans to “partner with other generative AI chatbots” besides ChatGPT

Apple is playing the field with AI and it wants you to know.

In a filing to dismiss Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s lawsuit accusing the iPhone maker of favoring its partner OpenAI’s ChatGPT on the App Store, Apple said that can’t be the case because it is “widely known that Apple intends to partner with other generative AI chatbots.”

At its developer conference last year, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi previously mentioned that Apple “intends to add support for other AI models in the future.”

Apple currently has a partnership with ChatGPT where users can direct their Siri queries to go through the chatbot. Apple, whose AI strategy has lagged its peers, has also been in talks with Anthropic and Google, and is reportedly considering using Gemini to power Siri.

Apple’s lawyers refuted X Corp.’s claims that Apple cannot partner with OpenAI “without simultaneously partnering with every other generative AI chatbot — regardless of quality, privacy or safety considerations, technical feasibility, stage of development, or commercial terms.” Apple’s legal team added, “Of course, the antitrust laws do not require that.”

Apple has yet to announce who its future AI partners will be.

Apple Denies Harming Musk’s xAI by Teaming Up With OpenAI

Apple Denies Harming Musk’s xAI by Teaming Up With OpenAI

At its developer conference last year, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi previously mentioned that Apple “intends to add support for other AI models in the future.”

Apple currently has a partnership with ChatGPT where users can direct their Siri queries to go through the chatbot. Apple, whose AI strategy has lagged its peers, has also been in talks with Anthropic and Google, and is reportedly considering using Gemini to power Siri.

Apple’s lawyers refuted X Corp.’s claims that Apple cannot partner with OpenAI “without simultaneously partnering with every other generative AI chatbot — regardless of quality, privacy or safety considerations, technical feasibility, stage of development, or commercial terms.” Apple’s legal team added, “Of course, the antitrust laws do not require that.”

Apple has yet to announce who its future AI partners will be.

tech

Meta buys chip startup Rivos in effort to lower its reliance on Nvidia

Meta is buying AI chip startup Rivos for an unknown sum, as part of the social media company’s effort to decrease its reliance on graphics processing units from Nvidia, Bloomberg reports. Rivos was seeking funding in August at a $2 billion valuation. Meta has been spending exorbitant sums in an attempt to create AI models that are smarter than humans, an effort that’s involved investing in developing its own AI chips.

Meta Is Said to Acquire Chips Startup Rivos to Push AI Effort

Meta Is Said to Acquire Chips Startup Rivos to Push AI Effort

⚡️ +267% ⚡️

A new analysis by Bloomberg looked at wholesale electricity prices and found that in the past five years, areas near data centers saw their prices spike as much as 267%. More than 70% of the price increases took place in areas less than 50 miles from a data center.

As tech companies race to build colossal data centers, unprecedented energy demands from the projects are passing some of the costs on to consumers.

one-stop bot shop

Americans still have hang-ups about using AI as a shopping assistant

Could ChatGPT’s new instant checkout help move the needle?

Woman walking next to humanoid robot carrying shopping bags

tech

Rani Molla9/30/25

OpenAI’s first-half 2025 sales were 16% higher than all of 2024

OpenAI brought in $4.3 billion in revenue in the first half of this year, 16% higher than its total revenue in 2024, The Information reports, citing financial disclosures to shareholders. The ChatGPT maker also burned through $2.5 billion in the same time frame.

Currently the company is generating more than $1 billion in revenue each month, which puts it on track to reach its full-year projection for $13 billion in revenue and $8.5 billion in cash burn — a paltry sum compared to the $115 billion it expects to burn through 2029.

OpenAI’s First Half Results: $4.3 Billion in Sales, $2.5 Billion Cash Burn

OpenAI’s First Half Results: $4.3 Billion in Sales, $2.5 Billion Cash Burn

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