Apple Inc. has held internal discussions regarding a potential acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Perplexity, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The talks are said to be in preliminary stages, with no formal approach made to Perplexity’s management so far. The Cupertino-based technology firm has neither confirmed nor denied the report, and Perplexity, in a response to Reuters, said it was unaware of any ongoing or forthcoming merger discussions.
The development comes as major technology firms intensify efforts to expand their footprint in generative AI and intelligent search tools amid growing competition from startups and rivals like Google and Microsoft. Apple, traditionally tight-lipped about its AI strategy, appears to be exploring ways to integrate AI-driven search into its ecosystem, particularly Safari, its default web browser.
Citing sources, Bloomberg reported that Adrian Perica, Apple’s head of mergers and acquisitions, discussed the idea with senior executives including Eddy Cue, head of services, and top figures involved in Apple’s AI initiatives.
Perplexity, backed by chipmaker Nvidia, has seen rapid growth in recent months. The startup offers an AI-powered search interface that provides concise information summaries—functionality similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. It recently completed a funding round that valued the company at approximately $14 billion, according to Bloomberg. Should Apple pursue an acquisition near that valuation, it would represent the largest deal in the company’s history.
The report also noted that Meta Platforms had attempted to acquire Perplexity earlier this year. The social media giant, which recently announced a $14.8 billion investment in AI infrastructure via Scale AI, is reportedly establishing a new superintelligence division led by Scale AI’s CEO Alexandr Wang.
Apple’s interest in AI-driven search tools may signal a gradual move away from its long-standing partnership with Alphabet’s Google, which currently provides the default search engine on Apple devices. This comes at a time when the U.S. Department of Justice is considering remedies to curtail Google’s dominance in online search, including a proposal to bar it from paying companies for default placement.
While Google continues to dominate global search traffic, AI-first platforms like Perplexity and OpenAI’s tools are rapidly gaining popularity, especially among younger users who prefer conversational, summarised answers over traditional search results.
Apple has not made a major acquisition in recent years, with its most prominent being the $3 billion purchase of Beats in 2014. An acquisition of Perplexity would represent a significant shift in Apple’s acquisition strategy, underscoring the increasing importance of AI in the company’s future roadmap.
