Perplexity is also a buyer of TikTok, but why is it a threat to Google?
Washington (Daily Pakistan Online) Artificial intelligence search engine Perplexity has also entered the fray to buy TikTok’s US operations. Arvind Srinivas, CEO of American AI startup Perplexity, has confirmed that his company has bid for TikTok America and that the deal serves the interests of both investors and President Donald Trump.
“We don’t want to be a hindrance to existing shareholders, but at the same time we want to meet President Trump’s wishes, which are for US control and equity for the government. Our deal provides both,” Srinivas told Focus Business.
Perplexity, an AI search engine startup, made a formal offer to TikTok’s parent company ByteDance in January. Under the deal, Perplexity and TikTok America would be merged. After briefly banning TikTok last month, Trump reinstated its US services and proposed the same terms that are now included in Perplexity’s bid.
Dmitry Shevchenko, Perplexity’s chief business officer, said the most important thing in the deal is “clear US board control.” He said we want to ensure that the hiring and firing of TikTok’s CEO is done by a US company and US individuals, so that no data can be sent down the chain.
Perplexity says there are many search synergies between TikTok and its AI search engine, as a new generation of users are searching for real-time videos about restaurants and other places on TikTok rather than traditional Google search. Srinivas added that “this company could become an interesting competitor for Google because Google has a monopoly on YouTube and search. We hope this deal will also keep Google in check.”
TikTok’s potential buyers include several investors. Shark Tank fame businessman Kevin O’Leary has offered $20 billion in cash for TikTok. Trump has also said he would like to see Elon Musk or Larry Ellison as potential owners of TikTok.
According to Fox News, if Perplexity’s bid is successful, it could bring TikTok’s US ownership back into American hands, fulfilling Trump’s wishes and reducing China’s influence. It could also pose a new challenge for companies like Google.