The interest from both Silicon Valley giants raises an important question: why are they eyeing a much smaller company like Perplexity?

Apple is examining the acquisition of artificial intelligence company Perplexity with the aim of developing an independent search engine and strengthening its AI capabilities.

According to Bloomberg, Apple has held early internal discussions — led by its head of mergers and acquisitions — about a possible acquisition of Perplexity AI, the AI-powered search startup founded by Aravind Srinivas. While no formal offers have been made, top Apple executives have considered multiple scenarios involving the company.