In the heart of Silicon Valley, innovation isn’t just a goal—it’s survival. When tech giants like Apple and Meta find themselves trailing in a rapidly evolving field like AI, they often take a familiar route: acquire promising startups. That’s exactly what’s happening now with the rising interest in Perplexity AI, a San Francisco-based startup founded by Indian-origin computer scientist Arvind Srinivas.
The potential acquisition of Perplexity AI is more than a business headline—it signals a turning point in how Big Tech plans to compete in the next phase of AI development.
Why Are Apple and Meta Interested in Perplexity AI?
Perplexity AI, founded in 2022, has quickly made a name for itself by developing an AI-powered search engine that emphasizes transparency, conversational interaction, and multimodal capabilities. Unlike traditional search engines, Perplexity provides verified sources, supports text, voice, and image input, and leverages both proprietary and open-source language models.
These innovations have not only drawn 15 million users by mid-2024, but have also positioned the company as a viable alternative to Google Search—something both Apple and Meta are watching closely.
Reports suggest that Meta was the first to approach Perplexity before making its high-profile $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI. Not long after, Apple was also rumored to be in exploratory talks, a surprising development given its traditionally conservative acquisition strategy.
While there’s no confirmation of any ongoing negotiations or deals, the interest from both tech titans is significant.
What’s in It for Apple?
Apple has faced criticism for lagging in AI innovation, especially after its underwhelming showing at WWDC 2025. Despite launching Apple Intelligence, many believe Cupertino is still playing catch-up with Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI.
An acquisition of Perplexity could help Apple fill critical gaps, particularly in search, where the company remains reliant on Google as the default provider on iOS. Owning a search-focused AI tool like Perplexity could not only reduce that dependence but also complement Apple’s privacy-first philosophy with transparent, source-based AI responses.
More importantly, Perplexity’s flexible architecture could allow Apple to quickly integrate it into Siri or develop a standalone AI-powered search assistant.
What Does Meta Stand to Gain?
For Meta, the interest in Perplexity appears to be part of a broader AI expansion strategy. The company has already rolled out its Meta AI assistant to over a billion users across apps like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook.
However, Meta’s current LLMs, including Llama 4, haven’t quite reached the performance level of competitors. Acquiring Perplexity could inject much-needed depth into its AI offerings, particularly in real-time search and natural conversation interfaces—features essential for improving AI-driven user experiences across its ecosystem, including future AR and smart glasses products.
What’s Next for Perplexity AI?
While neither Apple nor Meta has confirmed acquisition plans, the buzz surrounding Perplexity shows that AI innovation is no longer just about building from scratch; it’s about acquiring the right talent and tools to stay competitive.
Whether Perplexity remains independent or is absorbed into a larger tech giant, its rising influence signals that the AI-powered search war is heating up, and the next phase of competition could hinge on who controls the most intelligent, responsive, and user-trusted platforms.
In an era defined by generative AI and real-time assistance, startups like Perplexity may hold the key to Big Tech’s next breakthrough.
