Aravind Srinivas, the CEO of Perplexity, is reshaping the narrative around artificial intelligence (AI), asserting that the true future of AI lies not in standalone chatbots but in the browser. During a recent episode of The Verge's Decoder podcast, Srinivas elaborated on his vision for the workplace, highlighting how AI is poised to revolutionize two crucial roles: recruiters and administrative assistants.
Srinivas introduced Comet, an innovative AI-native browser developed by Perplexity. This tool is engineered to do more than just facilitate web browsing; it aims to fully automate various aspects of knowledge work. According to him, the task of a recruiter can be distilled into a single prompt that encompasses sourcing candidates and initiating outreach. With Comet’s built-in AI agent, users can effortlessly access applications like Gmail, LinkedIn, and Google Calendar to create candidate lists, retrieve contact information, and send tailored outreach emails—functions typically performed by recruiting coordinators and sourcers.
Beyond recruitment, Srinivas believes that Comet can significantly streamline the daily responsibilities of executive assistants. Tasks such as email triage, calendar management, and meeting preparation can be seamlessly handled by the AI. He stated, “You want it to keep following up, keep track of their responses.” This includes updating Google Sheets based on candidate statuses, syncing with Google Calendar to resolve conflicts, and even generating meeting briefs—all automatically executed based on natural language commands.
Looking ahead, Srinivas envisions Comet evolving into a comprehensive AI operating system for white-collar professionals. This system would continuously operate in the background, executing tasks and responding to user commands. While currently in its invite-only phase for premium users, Srinivas is confident that individuals will be willing to invest in AI solutions that deliver substantial results. “At scale, if it helps you make a few million bucks, does it not make sense to spend $2,000 for that prompt? It does, right?” he posed.
The discussion around the future of AI and its implications for white-collar jobs is gaining momentum, with varying perspectives from industry leaders. Srinivas is not alone in his predictions; Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, suggests that AI could eliminate up to 50% of entry-level jobs within the next five years. In a conversation with Axios, he emphasized that the public remains largely unaware of the impending scale of disruption, particularly in sectors like finance, law, consulting, and technology.
Ford CEO Jim Farley echoed similar sentiments at the Aspen Ideas Festival, asserting that “artificial intelligence is going to replace literally half of all white-collar workers in the US.” However, not all leaders share this pessimistic outlook. Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, views AI primarily as an augmentation tool rather than a replacement for human roles. Similarly, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang remarked that while AI will undoubtedly change jobs, it will transform them rather than eliminate them. “Do I think AI will change jobs? It will change everyone's — it's changed mine,” he noted.
Despite differing opinions on the potential for job replacement, there is a broad consensus that rapid change is on the horizon. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has urged employees to embrace this evolution, encouraging them to educate themselves, participate in workshops, and experiment with AI technologies. In a recent podcast episode, Srinivas echoed this sentiment, warning listeners to be proactive in adapting to the fast-changing landscape of work brought about by AI advancements.
