SAN FRANCISCO—Perplexity AI Chief Executive Aravind Srinivas has renewed his criticism of Google's influence over the internet, arguing that no single company should control how people access information online as competition intensifies in AI-powered search and web browsing.
Srinivas made the remarks in recent public interviews while outlining Perplexity's strategy to challenge Google's long-standing dominance in search through conversational artificial intelligence. He said the internet was "too important" to remain under the control of one company and argued that AI-based search could provide users with a different way to discover information.
Perplexity, founded in 2022, has positioned its AI-powered search engine as an alternative to traditional keyword-based search by generating summarized answers with links to cited sources. The company has expanded into web browsing with its Comet browser as it seeks to compete more directly with Google Chrome and Google's search ecosystem.
Srinivas has also argued that Google's advertising-driven business model creates challenges as the industry shifts toward AI assistants capable of completing tasks on behalf of users, saying the company faces strategic trade-offs as it integrates generative AI into its products.
Google has been incorporating more AI-generated features into Search, including AI-generated summaries, while maintaining that it continues to send valuable traffic to websites and publishers. The company has said it remains committed to supporting the broader web ecosystem as it introduces AI capabilities across its products.
The debate comes as Google continues to face antitrust scrutiny in the United States over its search business. U.S. courts previously found that Google maintained an illegal monopoly in online search, and regulators have proposed remedies that could reshape parts of the company's business. Google has disputed those proposals and said it plans to appeal the underlying ruling after the legal process concludes.
Despite his criticism of Google's market position, Srinivas has previously acknowledged the company's strengths. Earlier this year, he said Google's search engine remained the default option in the iPhone version of Perplexity's Comet browser because it continued to perform well for many everyday searches, describing the decision as a practical choice while Perplexity develops its own AI-driven browsing experience.
Perplexity has said it intends to differentiate itself through subscription services, AI-assisted search and browsing tools rather than relying primarily on traditional search advertising, as competition among AI companies and established technology firms accelerates.
