Meta Platforms Inc. held discussions with artificial intelligence search startup Perplexity AI Inc. about a possible takeover before moving ahead with a multibillion-dollar investment in Scale AI, according to people familiar with the matter.

Meta recently invested $14.3 billion into Scale AI and tried to buy another startup called Safe Superintelligence, as CNBC previously reported.

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.

Apple's executives are thinking of acquiring Perplexity AI both to get more talent and to be able to offer an AI-based search engine in the future, according to Bloomberg.

Apple has reportedly held internal discussions about a potential acquisition of Perplexity, an artificial intelligence search startup backed