Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas Recalls His Mother’s Unshakable “IIT Madras Dream” For Him

Aravind Srinivas, the co-founder of Perplexity, recounted his personal and professional journey, including his early influences, his time spent in Bengaluru, and his eventual foray into the field of artificial intelligence, on Nikhil Kamath’s WTF Online podcast.

Mr Srinivas shared that his mother had always envisioned him studying at IIT Madras.

“Every time we passed by the IIT Madras campus on a bus, my mom would point to it and say, ‘This is where you’re going to study.’ It wasn’t even a suggestion-it was an expectation,” he recalled.

During a three-week internship in Bengaluru, Mr Srinivas admitted that he barely explored the city, preferring to stay indoors and work. He attributed this decision to Bengaluru’s infamous traffic.

“I think I was in this place called Koramangala… but I didn’t really explore,” he said. “I just worked the entire time. Looking back, I probably should have.”

However, he had no regrets, considering the city’s congestion. “The traffic was bad even back then, and I hear it’s even worse now. So, staying in and working was probably the smart choice,” he added.

On AI’s Impact: Limitless Possibilities and Major Disruptions

Later in the podcast, Mr Srinivas discussed AI’s transformative potential, predicting that AI-powered personal assistants will become as common as smartphones. He believes AI will give everyone the ability to build and customize their own AI tools.

However, he also warned of major disruptions.

“The dystopian part is that, in the short term, a lot of jobs will be displaced. Fewer people are needed to complete the same amount of work. The next generation of graduates entering the job market, big tech companies laying off workers-this is going to have a huge impact,” he said.

As tech giants cut jobs and slow hiring, Mr Srinivas emphasized that those who adapt and integrate AI into their work will thrive, while others risk being left behind.