Apple execs are discussing the possibility of buying Perplexity, an AI start-up, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
Eddy Cue, senior vice president of services, Apple’s mergers and acquisitions chief Adrian Perica, and other execs overseeing Apple’s AI efforts have been participating in the discussions, which Gurman says “are at an early stage and may not lead to an offer.” Apple declined to comment, while Perplexity said that it has “no knowledge of any current or future M&A discussions involving Perplexity.”
Apple is already working with Perplexity, so a buy-out might be feasible. The tech giant is “actively looking at” bringing AI search options to Safari. Cue made the statement during Google’s antitrust trial in May, saying the company will likely add AI search features to Safari in the coming year as they continue to improve.
“To date, they’re just not good enough,” Cue said, adding that Apple has already had discussions with Perplexity, OpenAI, and Anthropic. Cue is mindful that it’s still early days for generative AI, and says that with Apple’s existing agreement with OpenAI for other AI services, it was important to “make sure we have the capability to switch if we have to,” in case a different provider leaps ahead.
A Geeky Gadget article says Perplexity is “the Siri Apple should have created.” From the article: The Perplexity AI app is redefining the role of voice assistants, offering capabilities that surpass Apple’s Siri in several key areas. While it currently lacks support for smart home controls, Perplexity excels in managing tasks such as organizing calendars, composing emails, playing music, and answering complex questions. Its seamless integration with iPhone features highlights the fantastic potential of large language models, setting a new benchmark for voice assistant functionality.
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