Latest news with #AdrianPerica
Engadget
4 hours ago
- Business
- Engadget
Apple is reportedly considering the acquisition of Perplexity AI
Apple's executives are thinking of acquiring Perplexity AI both to get more talent and to be able to offer an AI-based search engine in the future, according to Bloomberg . Adrian Perica, Apple's head of mergers and acquisitions, has reportedly already talked about the idea with services SVP Eddy Cue and the company's top decision-makers with it comes to its AI efforts. It's early stages, however: Apple has yet to talk to Perplexity about a bid, and the internal talks may not even lead to a formal offer. The executives also reportedly discussed an alternative, wherein instead of buying Perplexity outright, it'll team up with the AI company instead. Either way, the idea is to develop an AI search engine powered by Perplexity and to integrate Perplexity's technology into Siri. While Apple has yet to make a formal offer, Bloomberg says it met several times with Perplexity over the past few months. In May, Cue revealed that Apple discussed a possible Safari-integration with Perplexity while on the stand for Google's ongoing Search antitrust case. Cue took the stand due to Apple's long-standing deal with Google to make its search engine the default on the iPhone. (In turn, Apple gets billions of dollars a year — $18 billion in 2021 — from the arrangement.) Cue didn't share any definitive plans, however, including the possibility of an acquisition. If regulators order Apple to end its partnership with Google, purchasing Perplexity would make it easier for the company to develop an AI-based search engine. In addition, it would allow the company to acquire talent needed to be able to catch up with other companies when it comes to artificial intelligence. Apple, like Meta, has been scouting for new AI talent. Bloomberg says it's even competing against the Facebook owner to hire Daniel Gross, the founder of AI company Safe Superintelligence Inc. The company does seem to need help to be able to release the AI features it wants to provide its users. A few months ago, for instance, Apple delayed the rollout of a more powerful Siri that was a key component of its original pitch for Apple Intelligence.
Al Arabiya
7 hours ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Apple executives held internal talks about buying AI startup Perplexity: Report
Apple executives have held internal talks about potentially bidding for artificial intelligence startup Perplexity, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The discussions are at an early stage and may not lead to an offer, the report said, adding that the tech behemoth's executives have not discussed a bid with Perplexity's management. 'We have no knowledge of any current or future M&A discussions involving Perplexity,' Perplexity said in response to a Reuters' request for comment. Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. Big tech companies are doubling down on investments to enhance AI capabilities and support growing demand for AI-powered services to maintain competitive leadership in the rapidly evolving tech landscape. Bloomberg News also reported on Friday that Meta Platforms tried to buy Perplexity earlier this year. Meta announced a $14.8 billion investment in Scale AI last week and hired Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang to lead its new superintelligence unit. Adrian Perica, Apple's head of mergers and acquisitions, has weighed the idea with services chief Eddy Cue and top AI decision-makers, as per the report. The iPhone maker reportedly plans to integrate AI-driven search capabilities - such as Perplexity AI - into its Safari browser, potentially moving away from its longstanding partnership with Alphabet's Google. Banning Google from paying companies to make it their default search engine is one of the remedies proposed by the US Department of Justice to break up its dominance in online search. While traditional search engines such as Google still dominate global market share, AI-powered search options including Perplexity and ChatGPT are gaining prominence and seeing rising user adoption, especially among younger generations. Perplexity recently completed a funding round that valued it at $14 billion, Bloomberg News reported. A deal close to that would be Apple's largest acquisition so far.
Express Tribune
8 hours ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Apple mulls bid for AI startup Perplexity in search shake-up: Bloomberg report
man walks past an Apple logo outside an Apple store in Aix-en Provence, France, January 15, 2025. Photo:REUTERS Listen to article Apple executives have held internal talks about potentially bidding for artificial intelligence startup Perplexity, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The discussions are at an early stage and may not lead to an offer, the report said, adding that the tech behemoth's executives have not discussed a bid with Perplexity's management. "We have no knowledge of any current or future M&A discussions involving Perplexity," Perplexity said in response to a Reuters' request for comment. Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. Big tech companies are doubling down on investments to enhance AI capabilities and support growing demand for AI-powered services to maintain competitive leadership in the rapidly evolving tech landscape. Bloomberg News also reported on Friday that Meta Platforms tried to buy Perplexity earlier this year. Exclusive: Apple executives have held internal discussions about potentially bidding for artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI, seeking to address the need for more AI talent and technology — Bloomberg (@business) June 20, 2025 Meta announced a $14.8 billion investment in Scale AI last week and hired Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang to lead its new superintelligence unit. Adrian Perica, Apple's head of mergers and acquisitions, has weighed the idea with services chief Eddy Cue and top AI decision-makers, as per the report. The iPhone maker reportedly plans to integrate AI-driven search capabilities - such as Perplexity AI - into its Safari browser, potentially moving away from its longstanding partnership with Alphabet's Google. Banning Google from paying companies to make it their default search engine is one of the remedies proposed by the US Department of Justice to break up its dominance in online search. NEW: Apple executives have held internal discussions about potentially bidding for artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI, seeking to address the need for more AI talent and technology — — Mark Gurman (@markgurman) June 20, 2025 While traditional search engines such as Google still dominate global market share, AI-powered search options including Perplexity and ChatGPT are gaining prominence and seeing rising user adoption, especially among younger generations. Perplexity recently completed a funding round that valued it at $14 billion, Bloomberg News reported. A deal close to that would be Apple's largest acquisition so far. The Nvidia-backed startup provides AI search tools that deliver information summaries to users, similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.
Khaleej Times
11 hours ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Apple executives held internal talks about buying Perplexity: Reports
Apple executives have held internal talks about potentially bidding for artificial intelligence startup Perplexity, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The discussions are at an early stage and may not lead to an offer, the report said, adding that the tech behemoth's executives have not discussed a bid with Perplexity's management. "We have no knowledge of any current or future MA discussions involving Perplexity," Perplexity said in response to a Reuters' request for comment. Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. Big tech companies are doubling down on investments to enhance AI capabilities and support growing demand for AI-powered services to maintain competitive leadership in the rapidly evolving tech landscape. Bloomberg News also reported on Friday that Meta Platforms tried to buy Perplexity earlier this year. Meta announced a $14.8 billion investment in Scale AI last week and hired Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang to lead its new superintelligence unit. Adrian Perica, Apple's head of mergers and acquisitions, has weighed the idea with services chief Eddy Cue and top AI decision-makers, as per the report. The iPhone maker reportedly plans to integrate AI-driven search capabilities, such as Perplexity AI, into its Safari browser, potentially moving away from its longstanding partnership with Alphabet's Google. Banning Google from paying companies to make it their default search engine is one of the remedies proposed by the US Department of Justice to break up its dominance in online search. While traditional search engines such as Google still dominate global market share, AI-powered search options including Perplexity and ChatGPT are gaining prominence and seeing rising user adoption, especially among younger generations. Perplexity recently completed a funding round that valued it at $14 billion, Bloomberg News reported. A deal close to that would be Apple's largest acquisition so far. The Nvidia-backed startup provides AI search tools that deliver information summaries to users, similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
As race for AI startups heats up, Apple, Meta mull Perplexity acquisition
Live Events To stay ahead in the artificial intelligence (AI) race, tech giants such as Apple and Meta are eyeing the acquisition of AI executives have held internal talks about potentially bidding for AI startup Perplexity , Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people with knowledge of the report added that discussions are at an early stage, and that the tech giants' executives are yet to approach Perplexity's management."We have no knowledge of any current or future M&A discussions involving Perplexity," Perplexity said in response to a Reuters report further added that Adrian Perica, Apple's head of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), has weighed the idea with services chief Eddy Cue and top AI iPhone maker is reportedly exploring ways to integrate AI-driven search features, such as Perplexity AI, into its Safari browser, potentially moving away from its longstanding partnership with Alphabet's Google continues to dominate the search engine space globally, AI-powered alternatives like Perplexity and ChatGPT are gaining traction, particularly among younger Bloomberg News also reported on Friday that Meta Platforms tried to buy Perplexity earlier this week, the Mark Zuckerberg-led company invested $14.2 billion in Scale AI and roped in its CEO, Alexandr Wang. Wang is set to take a leadership role at a newly established, 50-person research lab at Meta, tasked with creating artificial superintelligence (ASI)—AI systems designed to surpass human developments come days after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman accused Zuckerberg of trying to poach OpenAI's talent , speaking at his brother's podcast, 'Uncapped'.Meta is said to be eyeing other startups as well, including Safe Superintelligence —a $32 billion venture launched by former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever just last told CNBC that Meta approached Sutskever earlier this year with an offer to acquire the company, but he reportedly turned it the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has opened an antitrust case against Meta , accusing it of buying rivals to kill competition and build a social media deals were at the centre of the case: Facebook's acquisition of Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 and WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014.
