In Silicon Valley, staying ahead of the curve is everything. That’s exactly why two of the world’s biggest tech companies—Apple and Meta—want Perplexity AI. This small but fast-growing AI startup is attracting big attention, and for good reason.
What Is Perplexity AI?
Founded in 2022 by AI experts Aravind Srinivas, Andy Konwinski, Denis Yarats, and Johnny Ho, Perplexity AI started with a bold mission: to democratize access to knowledge. At first, it was dismissed as just another “AI wrapper.” But that’s changed fast.
Today, Perplexity’s real strength is offering users multiple large language models (LLMs) to choose from, including its own called Sonar. Its chatbot and AI-powered search engine are quickly gaining popularity for being smart, flexible, and incredibly user-friendly.
With over 15 million users as of mid-2024, Perplexity is no longer just a startup—it’s a real competitor in the search engine space. Some even believe it could one day challenge Google’s dominance.
Why Apple and Meta Want Perplexity AI
So, why are Apple and Meta interested in buying Perplexity AI? The answer is simple: both tech giants are trying to strengthen their AI offerings—and fast.
Meta has been aggressively investing in AI, recently spending $14.3 billion on Scale AI. Now, it’s eyeing Perplexity as a way to gain an edge in the race for smarter search and conversational AI tools.
Apple’s interest, however, is even more surprising. Known for building its products in-house, Apple rarely buys startups for their tech. But this could signal a major shift in its AI strategy.
Apple has fallen behind in the AI space. Its once-pioneering Siri is now outdated, and the company’s recent announcement of Apple Intelligence didn’t impress many. Integrating Perplexity’s technology could help Apple leap ahead and catch up to rivals like Google and OpenAI.
The Bigger Picture: Shifting User Behavior
People are changing how they search for information. More users are ditching Google for platforms like Reddit, TikTok, for AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Many find traditional search results cluttered and less useful than before.
Even Google is reacting by rolling out “AI Overviews,” which summarize answers right on the search page. That’s proof that the search game is evolving—and Perplexity AI is part of that change.
What’s Next?
Neither Apple nor Meta has officially confirmed a deal, and it’s unclear whether Perplexity is even up for sale. However, the growing interest from both giants highlights just how valuable Perplexity has become in the world of generative AI.
If Apple does acquire Perplexity, it could reshape its AI future. Unlike Meta and Google, Apple isn’t an “AI-first” company—yet. But by combining Perplexity’s innovations with its hardware and existing user base, Apple could deliver smarter, more seamless AI-powered experiences.
Apple and Meta want Perplexity AI is a reflection of the bigger shift happening in tech today. The battle to dominate the next era of search and AI is heating up, and Perplexity AI may just be the secret weapon both companies need to stay in the game.
