Apple is in early talks to buy artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI, aiming to supercharge its search engine and Siri capabilities. Bloomberg reports Apple executives Adrian Perica (M&A chief) and Eddy Cue (services head) have held multiple meetings about the potential deal.

Perplexity AI—known for ChatGPT-like answers that summarize web sources quickly—could power smarter searches in Safari or transform Siri. While no formal offer exists, Apple has met with the startup repeatedly in recent months. A partnership remains possible if no acquisition follows.

The move comes as Apple scrambles to close the AI gap with rivals like Google and OpenAI. Its next-gen Siri, delayed since 2024. still struggles with advanced language models.

Notably, Eddy Cue testified in the U.S. DOJ’s antitrust case against Google that Apple previously discussed embedding Perplexity into Safari. If regulators force Apple to drop Google’s search engine (which earns Apple billions yearly), Perplexity’s tech could fill the void.

Apple’s talent hunt intensifies amid the AI race. Sources say it recently competed with Meta to recruit Daniel Gross, co-founder of AI firm Safe Superintelligence.

A successful Perplexity deal might finally deliver the "Apple Intelligence" promised at WWDC—transforming iPhones, Macs, and Vision Pro into smarter conversation partners.