Why Are Apple and Meta Chasing Perplexity AI? The $14B Underdog Shaking Up Silicon Valley
What do two of the biggest names in tech—Apple and Meta—want with a startup most people hadn’t heard of until recently? The answer may just rewrite the future of how we search, chat, and consume information.
Perplexity AI, a rising star in the AI world, is suddenly the belle of the Silicon Valley ball. Apple and Meta, two companies with wildly different strategies and identities, are reportedly circling the startup, sparking speculation of an acquisition war in the making. But why? Why this startup? Why now?
The Rise of Perplexity AI
Perplexity AI wasn’t born with buzz. Founded in 2022 by Aravind Srinivas and a crew of AI-savvy co-founders, the company started out as an experimental AI-powered search engine. Early skeptics brushed it off as just another wrapper around ChatGPT. Fast forward to 2024—and that same “wrapper” has 15 million users and a reputation for being smarter, simpler, and cleaner than Google.
Instead of mimicking the decades-old formula of crawling, indexing, and ranking pages, Perplexity does something fresh: it talks back. Ask it anything, and it doesn’t just link you to pages—it explains, summarizes, cites sources, and even lets you follow up in natural language. And that’s just the text. Users can speak to it, upload images, and get multimodal responses. It’s Google Search reimagined for the AI generation. And guess what? People love it.
Apple's Interest in Perplexity AI
Apple has always played the long game. It watches, waits, then strikes. But in AI? Cupertino seems to have snoozed through the first wave. Siri, once revolutionary, is now a punchline. At its recent WWDC event, Apple barely mentioned AI—an awkward silence in a year where every other keynote was dripping with AI demos. But the silence might have been strategic.
Sources suggest Apple is building a new Siri behind closed doors—one entirely based on large language models. It’s also teaming up with OpenAI to bring generative smarts to Apple Intelligence. Still, critics argue that partnerships alone won’t cut it. Apple needs AI in its bloodstream—not just sprinkled on top of iOS updates.
Enter Perplexity AI. With a powerful search engine, a clean UI that already feels Apple-esque, and a founder who shares Apple’s obsession with product design, the fit is uncanny. Imagine Perplexity’s tech baked directly into Safari, Siri, or Spotlight Search. Suddenly, Apple wouldn’t just be catching up—it might start leading.
Meta's Acquisition Strategy
Meanwhile at Menlo Park, Mark Zuckerberg is in full acquisition mode. Meta isn’t just interested in Perplexity—it’s been on a full-blown AI shopping spree. From investing billions in Scale AI to wooing OpenAI engineers with eye-watering $100 million bonuses, Zuckerberg is assembling an AI dream team. The goal? A Meta-owned intelligence engine that can power everything from Instagram feeds to future AR glasses.
Meta’s problem? Its own models, like LLaMA 4, haven’t wowed the developer community. Open-source is great—but Meta needs faster innovation, cleaner products, and smarter assistants. Perplexity could plug that gap instantly. Integrated into Meta AI, it could supercharge the company’s current offerings and give users a more natural, conversational experience across apps.
The Future of Search
Google Search has ruled the web for over two decades. But cracks are showing. Spammy content, SEO-stuffed articles, and user frustration have pushed people to seek answers elsewhere—on Reddit, TikTok, or now, Perplexity.
If Apple or Meta successfully acquire Perplexity, they won’t just gain a talented team—they’ll get a head start on building the next search experience. One that’s private (like Apple wants), or socially integrated (like Meta envisions).
And yes, there’s the battle over user trust. Apple stands for privacy. Meta thrives on data. Which philosophy wins in the age of generative AI? That’s the billion-dollar question.
Regulatory Challenges
Of course, even if Apple or Meta makes a move, regulators could spoil the party. Apple is already under antitrust scrutiny over its App Store and its cozy search deal with Google (which brings in billions annually). A bold move like acquiring Perplexity could raise new red flags.
Meta, too, has a long antitrust history—so either company acquiring a fast-growing AI company valued at over $14 billion will almost certainly trigger investigations.
This isn’t just about one clever AI tool—it’s about controlling how the next generation of users find, question, and understand the world. Apple sees a chance to catch up in AI and finally offer a worthy alternative to Google on its own devices. Meta sees a way to inject soul and smarts into its AI assistant—and win the race for attention.
Perplexity, once a niche player, is now the most wanted startup in town. And if either giant lands it, it won’t just change the AI landscape—it might just redefine search itself.
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