Can Perplexity Fix Siri’s Reputation?

Let’s be honest — Siri has long lagged behind its AI peers. While Google Assistant delivers near-flawless answers and Alexa manages entire smart homes, Siri often stumbles on simple tasks, leaving users frustrated and underwhelmed.

Now, with the pressure on to bring real AI capabilities to its devices, Apple may be looking for outside help. And that help could come from one of the buzziest AI startups in the space: Perplexity AI.

Inside Apple’s Reported Interest

Bloomberg recently reported that Apple executives, including M&A chief Adrian Perica and services head Eddy Cue, have discussed the idea of acquiring Perplexity. While the talks are still internal — and no approach has been made — the strategic interest is clear.

Perplexity, which combines conversational AI with live search results and proper citations, could offer Apple a serious upgrade in AI-powered search and voice assistance.

This would be especially relevant if the company’s $20 billion-a-year default search deal with Google is threatened by U.S. antitrust action.

A Lawsuit, A Problem — And A Potential Solution

Adding to the urgency: Apple was recently sued by shareholders over claims it exaggerated progress on AI integration, particularly around Siri. The suit argues that Apple misled investors about its readiness to deliver advanced AI features on the iPhone 16,  and the resulting stock dip has not gone unnoticed.

Bringing in a proven AI player like Perplexity could help Apple rebuild credibility and deliver the AI upgrade that users and investors have been waiting for.

What Analysts Have To Say 

Earlier this year, Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas said, “Perplexity will make Apple Intelligence work,” in response to a social media post suggesting the startup should replace Siri.

His comment comes amid growing criticism of Apple’s delayed AI efforts and internal struggles with its Siri team.

Last month, a 9to5Mac comparison revealed that Perplexity AI outperformed or matched Apple’s Siri and OpenAI’s ChatGPT across key areas such as factual queries, summarization, web search, navigation, reasoning and daily assistance.

After Apple’s WWDC 2025 event, Dan Ives, global head of technology research at Wedbush Securities, also suggested that Cupertino may be "forced" to consider acquiring an AI platform such as Perplexity—or a similar player—to stay competitive in the AI race and meet rising consumer expectations, much like its 2014 acquisition of Beats.

So, Can Perplexity Actually Save Siri?

Maybe. Perplexity has the chops to make Apple’s voice assistant feel less like a confused intern and more like a helpful genius. But as always, Apple tends to move quietly—until it doesn’t.

One thing’s for sure: If Siri starts quoting scientific papers and giving financial advice, you’ll know who to thank.

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