Apple has recently accelerated its work in the field of artificial intelligence. New talks in the company, Cupertino -based technology giant Perplexity AI shows that he is in close contact with. According to information transferred by Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, some senior executives within Apple have raised the option to buy this popular artificial intelligence search engine. The negotiations include Apple’s manager Adrian Perica, responsible for merger and acquisitions, and Eddy Cue responsible for services. It is also reported that the company does not officially make a statement on the issue.
Perplexity AIartificial intelligence-supported question-answer-based web search model stands out. Established in 2022, the initiative managed to make a name for himself in the field. The structure that gives direct information to the user separates it from traditional search engines. The company reportedly reached a valuation of $ 14 billion in the financing round completed last year. This valuation is quite high in terms of Apple; Beats, the biggest acquisition in the past, has doubled the price of $ 3 billion.
The question of why Apple may need a move in this direction is associated with Google’s business partnership. A possible decision that can be taken in an antitröst case against Google in the United States may risk approximately $ 20 billion an annual income from Google as a search engine. In the event of the end of this agreement, it is clear that Apple will have to develop alternative solutions. At this point, a new generation search engine like Perplexity can come into play.
Perplexity’s interviews with Samsung can make Apple’s plans difficult
Another option other than Apple is to partner with Perplexity to integrate this technology with safari or siri. According to Bloomberg’s information, the two companies met several times in recent months. Perplexity’s fast and welded search results are important in terms of strengthening the information infrastructure that Apple needs in its own services. However, there are some obstacles in front of this scenario. In particular, the news that Perplexity is close to an advanced cooperation agreement with Samsung complicates this process.
Samsung has already established commercial relations with Perplexity. In the promotional campaigns initiated for Galaxy phone users, steps such as free delivery of the Perplexity Pro service were among the first concrete examples of this cooperation. It is also claimed that the South Korean company aims to make a more comprehensive agreement by making an investment of $ 500 million in Perplexity. This cooperation is thought to include not only software, but also hardware integrations. It is not yet clear how Apple will take an attitude towards these developments.
The statements from the Perplexity front are remarkable. Company officials, currently said that they do not know about any purchasing or merger negotiations. This explanation may indicate that at the official level, negotiations have not yet begun or that they are not reflected to the public. However, Considering Apple’s effort to make Siri more talented, it seems likely to continue for a while. In order to make Siri more competitive in the face of artificial intelligence -supported competitors, the need for such technologies is increasing.
How Apple will establish a relationship with Perplexity are important not only for Apple’s power balances in general, search engines and mobile ecosystem. The activation of new actors in this area where Google is dominant can also change user experience and access to information. Whether Apple develops an approach other than purchasing or partnership in this process may become clearer in the coming weeks. The future of the current agreement with Google seems to be decisive in this regard.