Aravind Srinivas was initially disappointed when he received news that he had been accepted to the University of California, Berkeley for his PhD instead of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. However, his journey on the west coast led him to intern at OpenAI and Google’s DeepMind, both of which are leaders in generative artificial intelligence (AI). With this valuable experience, he co-founded Perplexity, a generative-AI startup valued at $1bn, offering fast, Wikipedia-like responses to search queries. Despite his unassuming demeanor, Mr. Srinivas is ambitious and aims to compete with Google search, one of the most successful business models in history.
A student of disruption, Mr. Srinivas reflects on how the engineer-led culture of OpenAI disrupted the research-focused hierarchy at DeepMind. He identifies Alphabet, Google’s parent company, as having potential vulnerabilities that Perplexity can exploit. While some see Perplexity and similar generative-AI platforms as threats to Google, Mr. Srinivas believes that these arguments miss the mark and that there is true potential for disruption in the industry.
Mr. Srinivas draws parallels to Clayton Christensen’s “The Innovator’s Dilemma” as he reflects on how companies like Google can become so focused on their current business model that they fail to adapt to new technologies or disruptive ideas.
He believes that Perplexity has an advantage over other AI platforms because it offers a more human-like response system that can provide faster and more accurate information than traditional search engines.
Furthermore, Mr. Srinivas also reflects on how AI is changing our lives by automating mundane tasks and allowing us to focus on more important things like creativity and innovation.
Overall, Mr. Srinivas sees great potential for disruption in the AI industry and believes that companies like Perplexity will be key players in shaping its future direction.
In conclusion, Aravind Srinivas’ journey from disappointment to success is a testament to his ambition and determination to make a difference in the world through technology. With his experience at OpenAI and DeepMind and his co-founding of Perplexity, Mr. Srinivas is well positioned to compete with Google search and disrupt the AI industry as we know it today.
