In the growing world of artificial intelligence, Perplexity AI, a San Francisco-based startup, has caught the eyes of two big tech firms – Meta and Apple. Founded in 2022, the AI platform is becoming the OpenAI of search. While no deal has been confirmed yet, reports say both companies are exploring the possibility of acquiring Perplexity.
For the unversed, unlike any other chatbot, Perplexity offers a conversational search engine that delivers clear, sourced answers in real-time without any endless scrolling, ad-stuffed results. Based on reports, the platform handles more than 780 million queries per month, with a staggering monthly growth of 20%. The platform has recently introduced Comet, an AI-powered browser assistant that helps users shop, summarise web pages, and manage emails.
While most of the smartphone OEMs are talking about AI, it was notably absent from Apple’s WWDC 2025 event. Siri, once a frontrunner in voice assistants, will reportedly get its next update in 2026. Additionally, Apple’s multi-billion-dollar deal with Google, which will add Google Search as the default on Safari, is under legal scrutiny.
Among all these, acquiring Perplexity seems to be a solution to all these issues and brings the tech giant back in the race of AI. It may help Apple to build its own AI-first search engine, possibly integrated directly into Safari or Siri. According to Bloomberg, senior Apple executives, including Eddy Cue and Adrian Perica, have discussed a potential bid, which, if successful, would be the biggest acquisition in Apple’s history.
Meta, on the other hand, is eyeing Perplexity to deepen its AI offerings across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The company had already invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI and is rumoured to have approached Perplexity before that deal closed. With its Llama 4 model receiving mixed reviews and internal restructuring underway, Meta could be looking at fastening its process through a Perplexity acquisition.
As big tech titans eye the AI platforms, it could be the next big boom after social media.