Apple could acquire Perplexity AI to up its artificial intelligence game

Let’s be honest, Apple’s AI ambitions haven’t exactly been front-row material. While rivals like Google and OpenAI have raced ahead, Apple’s much-hyped Apple Intelligence is still stuck in the green room – plagued by missed deadlines, feature delays, and a Siri that feels more 2014 than 2024.

But that might be about to change. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is seriously weighing a bold new move – acquiring Perplexity AI. Yes, that Perplexity. The buzzy startup known for rethinking how we search the internet in an AI-first world. If this deal happens, it could be the jolt Apple’s AI story desperately needs.

Apple x Perplexity: A power move in the making?

Reportedly, Apple’s internal teams, led by Adrian Perica, VP of Corporate Development and Apple’s point man for big-ticket deals, are in the early stages of evaluating a potential acquisition. So early, in fact, that Perplexity itself hasn’t officially been approached yet.

So far, it’s more boardroom murmurs than formal motion. But the interest is real. And it’s easy to see why. Integrating Perplexity’s AI chops could help Apple push past current bottlenecks and finally roll out the AI-powered Siri refresh users have been promised (and patiently waiting for).

There’s also speculation about a homegrown, AI-powered search engine; a Perplexity-infused Spotlight, if you will. Given Apple’s focus on vertical integration and privacy, building its own AI search stack might be the only way to keep up without compromising on user trust.

But here’s where things get really interesting, this would be a rare, and unusually extravagant, move for Apple. In its decades of strategic acquisitions, Apple has only crossed the billion-dollar threshold a handful of times. Its most expensive buy to date? Beats, at $3 billion.

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Compare that to Perplexity’s current valuation – a cool $14 billion (approximately Rs 1.21 lakh crore). That’s not loose change, even for a trillion behemoth. Still, Apple has never been shy about playing the long game, especially when it comes to redefining hardware-software experiences from the ground up.

If this deal does go through, it could mark a new era for Apple’s AI strategy; one that goes beyond cautious updates and starts shaping the future of how we search, discover, and interact with our devices.