Apple Discusses Potential Acquisition of Perplexity AI

Apple is internally discussing the possibility of submitting a bid to acquire Perplexity AI. According to reports from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, company executives are considering this option. Perplexity is one of the leading startups in the field of artificial intelligence, known as a web search engine with AI elements. The discussions involve executives from the mergers and acquisitions department, Adrian Perica, services chief Eddy Cue, and other specialists responsible for AI initiatives. Gurman states that these discussions are in the early stages and do not guarantee an official proposal will be made.

Apple declined to comment on the situation, while Perplexity stated that it currently has no information regarding any merger or acquisition discussions related to this startup. Whether Apple will submit a bid for Perplexity may depend on the outcomes of antitrust investigations against Google. The deal between Apple and Google regarding the default search engine on Apple devices brings the company about $20 billion annually, and this agreement could be canceled due to the relevant legal proceedings.

Recent funding rounds have valued Perplexity at $14 billion. A full acquisition of this company would be the largest deal in Apple's history, surpassing the $3 billion purchase of Beats over ten years ago. As an alternative to a purchase, Apple may choose to partner with Perplexity to integrate its AI capabilities into Safari and Siri. In recent months, the companies have met several times to discuss Perplexity's technologies.

At the same time, it has been reported that Perplexity is close to finalizing a major deal with Samsung to implement its AI features into the phones of Apple's biggest competitor. This could complicate any potential agreements with Apple.