The publication cited sources as saying that the talks are in an early stage and may not lead to an acquisition. Perplexity reportedly received a $14 billion valuation in a recent funding round. To be accepted, any takeout offer made by Apple would likely have to be higher.

Such an acquisition could help Apple create its own AI-powered search engine. This is part of a broader strategy to mitigate the potential loss of its long-standing agreement with Google, a partnership that earns Apple roughly $20 billion annually by making Google the default browser on its devices.

Apple executives have held internal talks about potentially bidding for artificial intelligence startup Perplexity, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.