Apple may be planning a major move to challenge Google’s search dominance by exploring a potential acquisition of AI startup Perplexity, according to a Bloomberg report. The discussions are still in early stages and no official offer has been made, but sources say top Apple executives, including Adrian Perica and Eddy Cue, have been involved in internal talks.
Perplexity, recently valued at $14 billion, offers AI-powered search tools that summarize information in a conversational format — much like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. If acquired, it would be Apple’s largest-ever deal and a significant shift in its AI strategy.
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This comes as Apple reportedly plans to embed AI search features directly into its Safari browser, possibly replacing Google as the default engine. The U.S. Department of Justice has also been pushing to end Google’s exclusive search engine deals, creating an opportunity for rivals to break in.
Perplexity has denied any knowledge of acquisition talks, and Apple has not commented. Meanwhile, Meta also tried to buy Perplexity earlier this year and has ramped up AI investments with a $14.8 billion deal involving Scale AI.
