Apple has reportedly held preliminary internal discussions about potentially acquiring the AI-powered search startup Perplexity, which is currently valued at around $14 billion, according to Bloomberg. While no official offer has been made and Perplexity’s leadership hasn’t been approached yet, key Apple executives—such as M&A chief Adrian Perica, services head Eddy Cue, and senior AI team members—have been part of these conversations. The move reflects Apple’s growing interest in strengthening its AI capabilities, especially in search, as it looks to innovate beyond its current dependence on Google for search functions in Safari and Siri. Such an acquisition would be Apple’s biggest ever, surpassing its $3 billion Beats deal, and could help the company build proprietary AI-driven search features. It also comes amid increasing pressure on Apple’s $20 billion annual search partnership with Google, which is under regulatory scrutiny. This potential move signals Apple’s push to stay competitive in the rapidly advancing generative AI space.
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