As technology industry leaders warn of mass unemployment due to AI, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas is now sounding more optimistic. Speaking on the AII-In podcast recorded at a recent Nvidia GTC event, Srinivas argued that AI-induced layoffs should not be feared, but should be embraced as an opportunity for people to pursue entrepreneurship, Fortune reports. “The reality is that most people don’t enjoy their jobs,” Srinivas says. “New possibilities, new opportunities to use these tools, to learn, to start your own mini-business suddenly appeared. Such a bright future is what we should expect, even if we have to deal with temporary turnover.”
Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas believes AI is the startup engine
Srinivas believes that AI will make small and medium-sized businesses more agile and reduce the need for large teams and large amounts of capital. He also pointed to examples like TurboAI, an AI-powered flashcard and quiz tool launched by two college students for less than $300. The startup currently has 8.5 billion users and generates $1 million a month with just 13 employees. Without AI, this task would have required hundreds of staff.OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also recently predicted that AI could enable the first billion-dollar business run by a single person. Srinivas echoed that vision, saying that the biggest opportunity for such “unicorns” lies in AI-optimized small and medium-sized enterprises.
Growing concerns about job losses due to AI
Srinivas’ comments come amid growing concerns about the impact of AI on jobs. Recently, ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott also predicted that the unemployment rate could exceed 30% in the next few years. Meanwhile, Block CEO Jack Dorsey last month cut 40% of his workforce, citing AI’s ability to reshape how companies operate. According to the Alliance for Secure AI, there have already been more than 101,000 AI-related job losses in the U.S. since February 2025.But not everyone agrees with the dire predictions for unemployment. According to a Fortune report, Oxford Economics believes companies are exaggerating the role of AI in job cuts by calling it “AI cleaning.” Venture capitalist Bill Gurley also downplayed apocalyptic predictions, saying the AI boom is similar to past waves of technological disruption to which the labor market eventually adapts.While AI-driven layoffs are already reshaping industries, Srinivas argues that they can ultimately free people from jobs they hate and open the door to innovation. “America has always valued entrepreneurship,” he said. “AI can help us rediscover that spirit.”
