Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, recounts discussions with Ilya Sutskever about identifying problem spaces where user product interactions directly improve the underlying AI models.
“There are probably only two problems where you can work on AI and also build product at the same time. One is like search, and the other is self-driving car.”
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More from Aravind Srinivas
AssertionPartly supported
Srinivas: Google possessed only fourth or fifth best AI models in 2023-2024
“And 2024, 20 23 especially, and large part of 2024 too, Google had like, maybe a fourth or fifth best models at any moment. So as a startup outside Google, you had access to AI that was better than what Google internally had.”
Aravind SrinivasJul 11, 2025▶ 13:06Aravind Srinivas: Perplexity's Race to Build Agentic Search · Y Combinator
Opinion
Srinivas: Autonomous mobile AI agents can only be built inside web browsers
“And agents can only be built with a browser. I, I'm very, like, convinced about that vision, that if you want to have a mobile agent, That you can actually build and implement without being restricted by whatever OS rules that Apple or Google sets in terms of …”
Aravind SrinivasJul 11, 2025▶ 36:10Aravind Srinivas: Perplexity's Race to Build Agentic Search · Y Combinator
Opinion
Microsoft messed up its AI search opportunity with Bing Chat
“Microsoft was never really good at consumer products for a long, long time. You can't suddenly change that. So they actually messed up the opportunity, in my opinion.”
Aravind SrinivasFeb 21, 2025▶ 18:44How To Build The Future: Aravind Srinivas · Y Combinator
Disclosure
Srinivas: Perplexity's primary strategic bet for the future is an AI browser
“The browser. That's the big bet we are making as far as the future of the company goes.”
Aravind SrinivasJul 11, 2025▶ 1:18Aravind Srinivas: Perplexity's Race to Build Agentic Search · Y Combinator
PredictionOpen · timeframe Jul 2028
Srinivas: OpenAI and Anthropic Will Both Build Their Own Browsers
“That said, I'm fully working with the assumption that OpenAI will also build its own browser. Anthropic will also try to build its own browser.”
Aravind SrinivasJul 11, 2025▶ 4:29Aravind Srinivas: Perplexity's Race to Build Agentic Search · Y Combinator
Insight
Srinivas: Google's ad model disincentivizes providing direct search answers
“If you get direct answers to these questions with booking links right there, how are you going to mint money from booking and Expedia and Kayak and like, you know, all like same, same, same thing for shopping. How are you going to take money from Amazon and li…”
Aravind SrinivasJul 11, 2025▶ 12:36Aravind Srinivas: Perplexity's Race to Build Agentic Search · Y Combinator
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