Samsung, Motorola to boost AI capabilities on phones through Perplexity AI

Reportedly, Perplexity AI's partnership with Motorola is expected to be announced this month, whereas discussions with Samsung are still in early stages

Perplexity AI is attempting to step up its game by getting a place for its virtual assistant on smartphones, akin to Google and OpenAI. According to a report by Bloomberg, the company is in talks with Samsung Electronics and Motorola about the integration of its assistant on smartphones. As per the report, Perplexity AI has already reached an agreement with Lenovo-owned Motorola for this but is in early stages of discussions with Samsung on the same.

 

Perplexity AI’s partnership with Motorola is expected to be announced this month, reported Bloomberg while citing sources who were a part of these discussions. Coincidentally, Motorola is hosting a product event on April 24 in New York City where it might discuss the said partnership.

 

According to Bloomberg, the agreement might include making Perplexity available as a default AI assistant or having its Android app pre-installed on devices. Samsung could also give the assistant prominent visibility in the Galaxy Store, where users access and download apps.

 

Perplexity AI’s deal with Motorola

 

As part of the Motorola agreement, Perplexity will reportedly come pre-installed as an alternative to Google’s Gemini assistant. The deal might also involve a customised interface designed specifically for Motorola’s latest Razr foldable devices. Additionally, Motorola plans to promote Perplexity through its marketing efforts to encourage user adoption.

 

Currently, Motorola provides both its proprietary AI solution and access to Google Gemini. Samsung follows a comparable strategy, offering its Bixby assistant alongside Google’s AI services.

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Complexities lie ahead for Samsung?

 

A potential deal with Perplexity is complex due to Samsung’s extensive collaboration with Alphabet Inc., which supplies many of the AI capabilities on Samsung devices and serves as the default search engine. However, Samsung has reportedly been building ties with Perplexity over the past several months. Its venture arm, NEXT, invested in the startup last year.

 

According to the Bloomberg article, Samsung is also considering a fresh investment in Perplexity soon. The startup is currently engaged in broader fundraising discussions aimed at doubling its valuation to $18 billion. As reported by Bloomberg earlier in March, it has explored raising between $500 million and $1 billion.