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- 📰 Perplexity bids for Chrome
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Welcome, AI enthusiasts
Perplexity just threw a curveball at the tech world, offering a jaw-dropping $34.5 billion to buy Google Chrome, nearly double its own valuation. The AI search startup has been hinting at this move for months, but making it official puts them on a collision course with one of the biggest players in the industry. Let’s dive in!
In today’s insights:
Perplexity bids for Chrome
AI Is Creating New Billionaires
Illinois bans AI therapy without clinicians
Read time: 3 minutes
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
PERPLEXITY AI
📰 Perplexity bids for Chrome
Source: REUTERS / Dado Ruvic
Evolving AI: Perplexity makes a surprise $34.5B bid for Google Chrome.
Key Points:
Perplexity offered $34.5B for Chrome, nearly double its own $18B valuation.
The startup claims large investment funds will fully finance the deal.
Pledges $3B investment into Chrome and Chromium over two years if accepted.
Details:
Perplexity has made an unsolicited $34.5 billion offer to acquire Google Chrome, far exceeding its own estimated $18 billion valuation. This move comes months after the AI search startup publicly stated it would pursue Chrome if regulators forced Google to sell. Google has not expressed any intention to sell, and no legal orders require it. Perplexity says multiple major investors have committed to funding the purchase, and if successful, it plans to inject over $3 billion into Chrome and Chromium within the next two years.
Why It Matters:
We’ve seen AI startups like Perplexity stepping into arenas once ruled entirely by Big Tech, making moves like this $34.5 billion offer for Chrome. It shows how the battle over how we search is getting real. People should care because this could give us smarter, AI-powered browsing without being stuck inside one giant’s ecosystem. Imagine a browser that actually helps you get things done, not just show ads or search links.
The best HR advice comes from those in the trenches. That’s what this is: real-world HR insights delivered in a newsletter from Hebba Youssef, a Chief People Officer who’s been there. Practical, real strategies with a dash of humor. Because HR shouldn’t be thankless—and you shouldn’t be alone in it.
WEALTH
💰 AI Is Creating New Billionaires
Source: Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Evolving AI: AI startups are creating new billionaires at record speed.
Key Points:
Fundraising for top AI startups has created vast new fortunes.
There are now 498 AI unicorns worth $2.7 trillion, 100 founded since 2023.
Public AI-related stocks and engineer salaries are surging.
Details:
Artificial intelligence is fueling one of the largest wealth creation waves in history. Startups like Anthropic, OpenAI, Safe Superintelligence, and Anysphere have seen valuations soar, producing dozens of billionaires this year alone. CB Insights counts 498 AI companies valued over $1 billion, with 100 launched in just the past two years. Public market players like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Meta are riding the same wave, while demand for AI infrastructure and talent keeps driving payouts higher.
Why It Matters:
Fresh capital shows up in your daily tools fast. Expect quicker product cycles, more reliable AI features, and richer integrations as teams hire (and buy) more compute. Salaries and contract rates are rising, which can tighten budgets but unlock better automation payoffs. Data center buildouts will strain energy and supply chains, so leaders should time pilots, negotiate usage, and track unit economics.
Source: Westend61/Getty Images
Evolving AI: Illinois blocks AI-only therapy to protect patients and mental health jobs.
Key Points:
New law bans AI-led therapy unless supervised by a licensed clinician.
AI still allowed for admin and support tasks in mental health care.
Comes after incidents of unsafe chatbot advice.
Details:
Illinois has passed the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act, prohibiting AI from delivering therapy or psychotherapy without licensed clinician oversight. AI can still be used for administrative or supportive roles, but not in direct therapeutic decision-making. The law follows concerns over unsafe advice from chatbots, including one that suggested drug use to a fictional patient. Violations can result in fines up to $10,000.
Why It Matters:
If you build or buy mental health tech, Illinois just changed the checklist: no unsupervised chatbots, clinician in the loop or you shift to admin-only features. Clinics can still use AI for notes, triage, and scheduling, but diagnoses, treatment plans, and crisis advice need a licensed human. Expect copycat bills, tougher app store rules, and RFPs asking for audit logs, escalation buttons, and clear handoffs to real people. Who ships that playbook first?
From Italy to a Nasdaq Reservation
How do you follow record-setting success? Get stronger. Take Pacaso. Their real estate co-ownership tech set records in Paris and London in 2024. No surprise. Coldwell Banker says 40% of wealthy Americans plan to buy abroad within a year. So adding 10+ new international destinations, including three in Italy, is big. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.
Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.
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