Apple plans competitive AI push against Google with Perplexity!

Apple plans competitive AI push against Google with Perplexity!

Apple Inc. has considered possible strategic moves to acquire AI startup Perplexity. According to internal conversations cited by Bloomberg News, Apple executives, including Adrian Perica, head of mergers and acquisitions, are exploring options to strengthen their presence in artificial intelligence (AI). However, these discussions are still at an early stage and may not lead to a concrete offer. There have been no direct discussions with Perplexity management about a potential acquisition, and neither Apple nor Perplexity have responded to Reuters' inquiries.

In the technology industry, investing in AI has been seen as crucial to staying competitive. In addition to Apple, Meta Platforms has also expressed an interest in Perplexity and attempted a takeover earlier this year. The social platform also announced a $14.8 billion investment in Scale AI with the aim of expanding its AI capabilities. Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang has been hired as the new head of Meta's superintelligence unit.

Strategic partnership and competition with Google

The partnership talks between Apple and Perplexity are aimed at expanding Apple's AI capabilities, creating a real challenge for Google's search engine on iPhones. Notably, Apple has a plan to implement Perplexity's AI-based search technology in Safari as a replacement for Google Search. This could not only impact the user experience, but also act as an additional voice for Siri, Apple's virtual assistant.

Apple's Senior Vice President of Services, Eddy Cue, confirmed the discussions with Perplexity during the Google Antitrust Trial. The aim is to further reduce dependence on Google, as Google's search engine has been the default search engine on iPhones for over two decades. It is estimated that Google paid Apple around $20 billion in 2022 as part of the deal. At the same time, the integration of Perplexity's technologies, which combine AI with large language models and Microsoft Bing's web index, opens up the potential for contextual answers and potentially revolutionizes mobile search.

Competition in the field of artificial intelligence

Apple's efforts aren't the only ones making headlines in the tech industry. Samsung Electronics is also negotiating a significant investment in Perplexity, which could total up to $500 million. The South Korean company plans to pre-install the app and assistant on its new Galaxy devices and could do so as early as the Galaxy S26, which is expected in early 2026. These moves are part of Samsung's efforts to integrate Perplexity's search capabilities into its own Internet and Bixby and to encourage other smartphone makers to become less dependent on Google.

For further context, Apple's financial report for the first quarter of 2025 shows revenue of $95.4 billion, indicating several growth factors, including a 7% increase in Mac sales and services revenue of $26.6 billion. At the same time, the company is struggling with a decline in wearables, home and accessories. The current thinking about AI could not only mean an improvement in the user experience for Apple, but also represent a significant opportunity to challenge Google's dominance in mobile search.

However, while Apple plans to offer broader platform updates at WWDC on June 9, 2025, it is believed that no major AI innovations will be unveiled this year. Rumors suggest that Apple wants to use 2025 as a gap year for AI and focus more on improvements to Siri and AI technologies in 2026.