Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas is facing criticism online after suggesting that people should embrace job losses driven by artificial intelligence since “most people don’t enjoy their jobs anyway.”
Speaking on the All-In Podcast, Srinivas described the disruption caused by AI as a gateway to a “glorious future” in which individuals can use emerging tools to build their own small businesses.
“The reality is most people don’t enjoy their jobs… There’s suddenly a new possibility, a new opportunity, to use these tools, learn them, and start your own mini business,” he said.
“Even if there is temporary job displacement to deal with, that sort of glorious future is what we should look forward to,” he added.
Social media reactions
Srinivas’s comments quickly drew backlash on social media, with many accusing the tech executive of being disconnected from the realities of workers facing layoffs and financial stress.
“A man worth millions just told the single mother who lost her job that she should be grateful because now she can start a business using his product and called her unemployment a glorious future. This is what happens when you’ve never needed a paycheck to keep the lights on,” one user wrote on X.
“His view treats job loss as a temporary shock that opens a path toward one-person or very small firms that produce real revenue without the payroll that older companies needed. But the problem with this scenario is that losing a stable paycheck is painful for most, and many workers cannot instantly become founders. Economists still disagree on whether AI is replacing labor at large scale or merely giving companies a new excuse for cuts,” commented another.
{{/usCountry}}“His view treats job loss as a temporary shock that opens a path toward one-person or very small firms that produce real revenue without the payroll that older companies needed. But the problem with this scenario is that losing a stable paycheck is painful for most, and many workers cannot instantly become founders. Economists still disagree on whether AI is replacing labor at large scale or merely giving companies a new excuse for cuts,” commented another.
{{/usCountry}}However, despite the criticism, Srinivas also found support among some users, who argued that AI tools are lowering barriers to entrepreneurship. “He is kinda right though. A few years ago, one person couldn’t realistically run ops, marketing, support, and product all alone, but now they can – and some of them are making real numbers,” one user wrote.
“This shift could indeed democratize entrepreneurship by lowering business creation costs,” commented another.
(Also Read: ‘Chennai boy’ becomes India’s youngest billionaire. Know Aravind Srinivas' net worth, career and more)
Perplexity's response to backlash
Meanwhile, responding to the backlash, a Perplexity spokesperson told The New York Post about a surge in new business applications in the US since 2022. They argued that technological breakthroughs historically create new opportunities even as they disrupt existing roles.
“Since Perplexity launched in December 2022, Americans have filed 16 million new business applications, contributing to the reversal of a 40-year decline and proving yet again that breakthrough technologies don’t eliminate opportunity, they create it,” the spokesperson said.