Apple Reportedly Mulling Perplexity Purchase to Bolster AI Offerings

Apple has reportedly held in-house talks about acquiring artificial intelligence (AI) startup Perplexity AI.

That’s according to a report Friday (June 20) by Bloomberg News, which points out that such a purchase would help Apple meet its need for AI technology and expertise.

Sources told Bloomberg that Adrian Perica, the company’s head of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), has discussed the idea with services chief Eddy Cue and key AI decision-makers. The talks are in their early stages and might not yield an offer, the sources added.

As the report noted, an acquisition would allow Apple to build an AI-based search engine as it faces the possible loss of its yearslong deal with Google, making that company the default search on Apple devices.

Perplexity’s search service offers real-time answers to questions using the latest information from the web. The company said recently it is handling 780 million queries each month, with that figure increasing more than 20% month over month.

The Bloomberg report pointed out that if Apple were to engage in talks to purchase Perplexity, it would likely happen after a ruling in the Google antitrust trial, as that’s when Apple would learn whether its arrangement with Google would be ending.

“We have no knowledge of any current or future M&A discussions involving Perplexity,” the AI startup told Bloomberg.

PYMNTS has contacted Apple for comment but has not yet gotten a reply.

Writing about Apple’s AI efforts earlier this month, PYMNTS argued that the company’s “restrained” approach contrasts with that of rivals such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft, “which are embracing large language models and enterprise-scale AI solutions in aggressive and sometimes experimental ways.”

Those companies are rolling out AI agents in business software and cloud infrastructure. Apple offers things like real-time voicemail transcripts, enhanced Spotlight search, call screening and translation, capabilities that are tightly integrated and narrower in their scope.

Observers might find themselves asking if Apple is playing a longer game or just falling behind, that report added.

“In the context of the broader AI economy, Apple risks strategic drift,” PYMNTS wrote. “Most enterprise AI innovation is happening in the cloud, powered by APIs and platforms that allow fine-tuning, multimodal inputs and integration with vast datasets. Apple’s refusal to enter this space leaves it reliant on consumer hardware cycles and developer goodwill — both of which may wane as competitors offer richer, more adaptable platforms.”