Apple Reportedly Exploring Acquisition of Perplexity AI The discussions come amid a broader industry trend of tech firms ramping up investments in AI to gain a competitive edge

Apple has reportedly initiated early-stage internal discussions about a potential acquisition of Perplexity AI, according to multiple media sources. While the tech giant has not yet approached Perplexity's leadership directly, Apple's M&A chief Adrian Perica has allegedly discussed the possible deal with senior executives, including services head Eddy Cue and other key figures in its artificial intelligence (AI) division.

The interest in Perplexity signals Apple's growing focus on strengthening its AI offerings, particularly in the search domain. If pursued, the acquisition could lead to the integration of Perplexity's AI-driven search capabilities into Apple's Safari browser. Such a move would mark a notable departure from Apple's current reliance on Google as the default search engine and could reshape the competitive landscape in consumer search technology.

The discussions come amid a broader industry trend of tech firms ramping up investments in AI to gain a competitive edge. Apple recently unveiled "Apple Intelligence" as part of its iOS updates, underscoring its intent to enhance user experiences through generative AI. Other major players, including Meta, have also shown interest in Perplexity; Meta was reportedly considering an acquisition earlier this year. Meanwhile, the company has committed significant funds around USD 15 billion to partnerships like Scale AI.

Perplexity, known for its AI-powered search tools that provide direct, summarised answers to user queries, has seen rising popularity as an alternative to traditional search engines. The company is backed by NVIDIA and recently completed a funding round valuing it at USD14 billion. This valuation places Perplexity among the top AI startups globally and highlights the increasingly high stakes in the generative AI sector.