Apple Reportedly in Talks to Acquire AI Startup Perplexity

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Apple reportedly has held internal discussions about the possibility of acquiring the artificial intelligence (AI) startup, Perplexity. This move is said to be the largest acquisition in Apple's history, surpassing the $3 billion purchase of Beats in 2014.

Perplexity is known as a rapidly growing artificial intelligence startup that operates as a conversational-based web search platform. The company is currently valued at $14 billion after its latest fundraising round.

According to Apple technology analyst Mark Gurman, discussions between Apple and Perplexity are still in the early stages. This internal discussion involves Apple's Head of Merger and Acquisition Division Adrian Perica, Head of Services Eddy Cue, as well as the company's AI team leaders.

"Buying Perplexity would give Apple an infusion of AI talent, a known brand in the AI space and a consumer product. A deal could also potentially assist with future recruiting efforts," Gurman said, as quoted from the 9to5Mac report on June 20, 2025.

Apple is reported to have held several meetings with Perplexity in recent months. Apple's internal AI team is also conducting a thorough evaluation of the startup's technology. However, Apple has declined to comment, while Perplexity has stated that they have "no knowledge of any current or future M&A discussions."

There are several reasons behind the possibility of this acquisition. One of them is the potential end of the $20 billion per year search deal between Apple and Google, which is currently under investigation in an antitrust case by the U.S. government. Eddy Cue even mentioned in his testimony that the industry is moving from traditional web search to AI-based answers.

Furthermore, Perplexity already has AI search products that directly face consumers, with real-time internet access and a strong brand presence in the AI world. These products are also considered superior to Siri and ChatGPT in various tasks, and even have specialized assistants for the iPhone.

Therefore, in addition to considering a full acquisition, Apple is also reportedly exploring the possibility of a strategic partnership. Perplexity could potentially be integrated into Safari as a search engine option, or become part of Siri's response.

However, Apple's plans could be hindered by other agreements. The same report mentioned that Samsung is in the final stages of forming a major partnership with Perplexity. Meta is also said to have considered acquiring Perplexity, but ultimately chose to invest $14 billion in Scale A

Editor’s Choice: Perplexity AI Seeks to Pave the Way for TikTok in the US

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