Aravind Srinivas of Perplexity on Where AI Is Headed Next.

n a recent conversation with Nikhil Kamath, Aravind Srinivas, the mind behind Perplexity, shared his vision for the next five years of artificial intelligence. What does the future hold?

According to Srinivas, it’s a mix of utopian promise and dystopian challenges—a world where AI becomes as ubiquitous as the iPhone, yet reshapes society in ways we’re only beginning to grapple with. Here’s a breakdown of his predictions and insights.

AI as Your Personal Assistant: A Democratized Revolution

Srinivas kicked off with a bold yet optimistic forecast: in five years, everyone will have a personal AI assistant. “It’s going to feel really amazing,” he said, emphasizing that this won’t be a luxury reserved for billionaires.

Much like how the iPhone leveled the playing field—where the President of the United States uses the same device as the average person—AI assistants will become affordable and accessible to all.

This shift, he believes, will simplify life dramatically. Need something done? Your AI will handle it. Want to create something unique?

It’ll empower you to bring your ideas to life.

“Whatever you want to exist in the world, you can make it happen,” Srinivas explained.

Historically, only a select few could turn their visions into reality, often relying on others’ creations. AI, he predicts, will flip that script, unleashing a wave of creative expression across the globe. It’s a utopian vision where technology hands power back to the individual.

The Flip Side: Labor Displacement and Economic Shifts

But it’s not all rosy. Srinivas didn’t shy away from the darker side of this AI-driven future. “Unfortunately, in the short term, there’s going to be a lot of labor displacement,” he admitted.

With AI streamlining tasks, fewer people will be needed to get work done. The days of needing 10,000-person companies to build trillion-dollar empires are fading fast.

Big tech is already feeling it—layoffs are up, hiring is down, and the job market for the next generation of graduates looks uncertain.

So, what’s the solution? Adaptation, Srinivas suggested. Those who embrace AI and upskill themselves will thrive.

“Those using AI are definitely going to be well-positioned,” he noted.

But for society as a whole, navigating this transition—where new value is created while existing labor is displaced—will be a complex, unpredictable ride. “I don’t think anyone really knows how it’ll all play out,” he confessed.

Power, Access, and the Global Stage

Kamath probed further: will this AI future concentrate power in just a few hands or geographies, as we see today? Srinivas offered a nuanced take.

The technology itself, he believes, will be widely accessible, thanks to open-source efforts ensuring that knowledge doesn’t stay locked in one or two places. “The secrets are not going to be lying in one or two geographies,” he said confidently.

However, there’s a catch: compute power—the raw processing muscle behind AI—won’t be so easy to democratize. “It takes a lot of money,” Srinivas pointed out, meaning countries that invest heavily and early will hold an edge. This disparity could shape who leads the AI race, even as the tools themselves spread globally.

A Future in Flux

Srinivas’ vision is equal parts inspiring and sobering. AI is poised to transform how we live, work, and create, making the impossible feel within reach. Yet, it also demands we confront tough questions about jobs, equity, and power.

As he put it, “How people deal with all this is going to be interesting to watch.” One thing’s for sure: the next five years will be a defining chapter in humanity’s dance with technology—and we’re all along for the ride.