Apple executives held internal talks about buying Perplexity: Report

Apple executives have reportedly held early internal discussions about a possible bid for artificial intelligence startup Perplexity, according to Bloomberg News. While no formal talks have occurred with Perplexity’s management, Apple’s mergers and acquisitions head Adrian Perica, alongside services chief Eddy Cue and senior AI leadership, have weighed the idea.

The move reflects big tech’s growing race to expand AI capabilities and meet surging demand for AI-powered services. Notably, Meta Platforms had also attempted to acquire Perplexity earlier this year and recently invested $14.8 billion in Scale AI while bringing its CEO Alexandr Wang to lead a new superintelligence division.

Perplexity, backed by Nvidia and valued at $14 billion in its latest funding round, offers AI-driven search tools that provide concise information summaries, rivalling platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.

Apple is reportedly considering integrating AI-powered search tools such as Perplexity into its Safari browser, potentially reducing reliance on Google, its long-standing search partner. This comes as the U.S. Justice Department pushes to curtail Google’s dominance in online search, proposing restrictions on its exclusive default search deals.

As AI-driven search engines rapidly gain traction — especially among younger users — a major acquisition like this would mark Apple’s largest to date and significantly reshape the AI search landscape.

Source: The Hindu

Voice of Osiz

We believe Apple’s interest in Perplexity signals a defining shift in the AI search landscape. As AI-powered search tools challenge traditional engines, integrating intelligent, conversational search into mainstream browsers could reshape how users access information. The race for AI search dominance is heating up, and this move reflects the urgency for tech giants to future-proof their ecosystems.