Apple has held preliminary internal talks about possibly making a bid for Perplexity AI, according to a Bloomberg report. Discussions remain at an early stage, and the company has not engaged directly with Perplexity’s executives.
Adrian Perica, Apple’s head of mergers and acquisitions, has reportedly discussed the potential of integrating Perplexity’s AI-driven search tools with Apple’s services chief Eddy Cue and other AI leaders.
If the deal moves forward, Apple could integrate Perplexity’s technology into its Safari browser, a significant shift away from its long-standing reliance on Google for search. This comes as AI-powered platforms like Perplexity and ChatGPT gain traction, especially among younger audiences, eroding Google’s dominance.
Tech giants race to bolster AI capabilities
Apple’s move follows its recent launch of Apple Intelligence in iOS updates, demonstrating its commitment to enhancing the user experience with AI. Major tech companies are increasingly investing in AI-driven innovations, Meta previously considered acquiring Perplexity earlier this year and recently committed nearly $15 billion to Scale AI.
Perplexity’s valuation and market standing
Bloomberg’s report also noted that Perplexity recently closed a funding round that valued the startup at $14 billion. Backed by NVIDIA, Perplexity offers AI-powered search tools that generate concise information summaries, competing with rivals like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. A successful acquisition at this level would mark Apple’s largest acquisition to date.