Apple reportedly weighing acquisition of Perplexity AI in strategic push for AI development

Apple is reportedly exploring the possibility of acquiring artificial intelligence startup Perplexity, a move that could mark the most expensive acquisition in the company's history.

According to a Bloomberg report, the tech giant has held internal discussions about the potential deal, though no official outreach to Perplexity has yet been made.

The internal deliberations are said to involve Adrian Perica, Apple’s Vice President of Corporate Development and head of mergers and acquisitions.

Sources cited in the report suggest that while the idea is still in its early stages, acquiring Perplexity could help Apple boost its lagging AI capabilities—particularly around Siri and other AI-driven features that have faced delays and remain without a release timeline.

If completed, the acquisition could also position Apple to build its own AI-powered search engine. This would be a strategic safeguard should the company lose its $20 billion (approximately ₹1.7 lakh crore) annual deal with Google due to ongoing antitrust challenges.

The move would be atypical for Apple, known for its cautious acquisition strategy.

As noted in a separate Bloomberg report, Apple has only executed three billion-dollar-plus deals in its history. The most notable of these is the $3 billion (roughly ₹26,000 crore) acquisition of Beats in 2014. In comparison, Perplexity—following its latest funding round—is currently valued at $14 billion (approximately ₹1.21 lakh crore).