Apple is looking into buying Perplexity AI

An Apple store in the Brooklyn

Credit: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Apple may have stayed quiet on the AI front during its WWDC 2025 keynote, but behind the scenes, the company is actively exploring new moves in the space.

According to Bloomberg, Apple has held early internal discussions — led by its head of mergers and acquisitions — about a possible acquisition of Perplexity AI, the AI-powered search startup founded by Aravind Srinivas. While no formal offers have been made, top Apple executives have considered multiple scenarios involving the company.

One option is a partnership that would integrate Perplexity’s technology into iOS to power a native AI search experience. Another possibility is a full acquisition, which would allow Apple to integrate Perplexity’s AI directly into Siri or a broader Apple-run search platform.

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The report also notes that acquiring Perplexity could give Apple a strategic fallback if its multibillion-dollar search deal with Google — worth billions annually to keep Chrome the default search engine on iOS — is forced to end by a court order.

Regardless, the move would be a strategic win for Apple, which continues to trail behind rivals like Google and Meta in the AI race. At WWDC, Apple once again avoided giving any concrete timeline for the rollout of its much-hyped Apple Intelligence update for Siri. Rumors suggest the company is significantly behind schedule, with doubts growing about whether the revamped Siri will be ready by the end of the year.

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Assistant Editor, General Assignments

Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones.

In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and greatly enjoys Detroit sports. If you have any tips or want to talk shop about the Lions, you can reach out to him on Bluesky @offbrandchance.bsky.social or by email at [email protected].

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