Introduction to Perplexity AI’s Bid for TikTok

Earlier this year, as a ban on TikTok loomed, Perplexity AI threw its hat into the ring to take over the embattled social media company. The maker of an AI search engine has now outlined its vision for TikTok if its bid were to succeed.

Perplexity AI’s Vision for TikTok

In a detailed blog post, the company made a pitch for "rebuilding TikTok in America." This effort would involve rebuilding the app’s signature algorithm, adding Community Notes, and integrating the short-form videos into its search engine.

Consideration of the Bid

Among the numerous potential buyers, it is unclear how seriously Perplexity’s bid is being considered. On Friday, the Financial Times reported that ByteDance’s existing US investors are exploring a deal alongside software giant Oracle to appease President Donald Trump, with ByteDance strongly preferring this arrangement.

Perplexity AI’s Case for Owning TikTok

Despite this, Perplexity is making the case that it is best suited to own the platform.

Perplexity is singularly positioned to rebuild the TikTok algorithm without creating a monopoly, combining world-class technical capabilities with Little Tech independence. Any acquisition by a consortium of investors could in effect keep ByteDance in control of the algorithm, while any acquisition by a competitor would likely create a monopoly in the short-form video and information space. All of society benefits when content feeds are liberated from the manipulations of foreign governments and globalist monopolists.

Plans for TikTok’s Algorithm and Features

The AI company also says it would rebuild TikTok’s "black box" recommendation algorithm from scratch and would make the "For You" feed open source. Perplexity also suggests it would add "Community Notes features" as well as the citations used by its own search engine in an effort to turn TikTok into the most neutral and trusted platform in the world. This would be a significant departure from TikTok’s current fact-checking program, which relies on international media organizations.

Conclusion and Future Decisions

This is the first time Perplexity has publicly discussed its vision for TikTok in detail. It’s also notable that some of its plans feel similar to Elon Musk’s playbook for X. The White House will likely need to make a decision about TikTok’s future soon, as Trump’s executive order that temporarily saved the app from a ban is set to expire, although the president has indicated he would probably extend it if necessary.