SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Perplexity AI chief executive Aravind Srinivas has launched an audacious $34.5 billion bid to acquire Google’s Chrome browser, positioning the fast-growing AI startup at the center of one of the tech industry’s biggest potential shake-ups.

Perplexity, an AI company, is no stranger to making such bold offers. In January, it made a similar one for TikTok US and had offered to merge with the video-making platform among concerns in America about TikTok's Chinese ownership.

Perplexity AI made a $34.5 billion unsolicited all-cash offer for Alphabet's Chrome browser on Tuesday, a bid far above its own valuation as the startup reaches for the browser's billions of users pivotal to the AI search race.