Amidst the ongoing antitrust lawsuit against tech giant Google by the US Department of Justice, Perplexity, an innovative artificial intelligence startup, has made a bold declaration. Dmitry Shevelenko, the company’s director of commercial operations, expressed their keen interest in purchasing the Chrome browser should Google be compelled to divest it. “I think we can do it,” Shevelenko confidently responded when asked whether they could maintain Chrome’s quality without charging users.
Shevelenko’s appearance in court wasn’t voluntary; he was summoned by the Department of Justice to elucidate how Google’s search engine hegemony stifles emerging AI companies like Perplexity. Yet, this compelled testimony offered Perplexity a platform to highlight their vision. In his account, Shevelenko described how Google’s dominant position within the Android ecosystem obstructs alternative AI assistants from gaining traction.
According to his testimony, Perplexity’s attempts to collaborate with various smartphone manufacturers and US telecom operators frequently hit roadblocks due to Google’s overwhelming influence. Negotiations with one manufacturer were halted “for fear of sanctions from Google,” while another potential partner—likely Motorola—was unable to make Perplexity the default app due to Google’s binding agreements.
Despite these revelations, Shevelenko and Perplexity do not advocate for a complete break-up of Google. Their primary concern is eradicating Google’s monopoly over search and distribution deals. Shevelenko also voiced apprehensions about the possibility of OpenAI acquiring Chrome, which could risk dismantling Chromium’s open-source nature or result in the product’s mismanagement, potentially disrupting industry balance.
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