Apple Explores Potential Bid for AI Startup Perplexity: Report

Apple is reportedly exploring a potential bid for AI search startup Perplexity, according to Bloomberg News. Internal discussions led by Apple’s M&A head Adrian Perica and services chief Eddy Cue are still in early stages and have not involved Perplexity’s management. Perplexity, recently valued at $14 billion, denied awareness of any ongoing acquisition talks.

Apple’s interest reflects its growing focus on artificial intelligence as it seeks to enhance AI-driven capabilities within its ecosystem. The iPhone maker is said to be considering integrating AI-powered search tools like Perplexity into its Safari browser, possibly reducing reliance on its long-term partner, Google. This comes amid regulatory scrutiny over Google’s dominance in search.

Earlier this year, Meta reportedly attempted to acquire Perplexity and recently invested $14.8 billion in Scale AI. As AI reshapes online search, Apple may view Perplexity’s summarization tools as key to competing with platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.