Have you ever searched on Google but didn’t get the clear answer you were looking for? That’s what Aravind Srinivas wanted to fix when he cofounded Perplexity AI, an AI-powered search engine that gives direct, clear answers with sources. He is a young man from India who wanted to make searching online easier for everyone. Instead of showing lots of links like Google, he created a tool that helps you find the right answer right away.
In this article, you’ll learn who Aravind Srinivas is, how he started Perplexity AI, why it’s different from other tools, and how he’s changing the way people use the internet around the world.
Source: Wealthyspy.
Aravind Srinivas: Early Life and Education
Aravind Srinivas was born in Chennai, India, in 1994. From a young age, he has shown an interest in investigating how things work, and he was always a curious boy. He graduated from IIT Madras, one of India’s top engineering colleges, with a degree in computer science. At this time, he concentrated on studies in artificial intelligence and machine learning. After that, he went on to get his doctorate degree at the University of California, Berkeley. Moving from Chennai to the U.S. was a big step, but Aravind was excited to learn more and work with world-class researchers specializing in AI and research, and he also had the chance to work with professors who are at the top of this field.
He gained experience by working at top tech research labs such as
- OpenAI: Here, he got to work on large language models, the same kind of technology behind tools like ChatGPT.
- Google Brain: It is a special research team of Google that is dedicated to better AI systems. He learned how large companies use AI to solve global problems.
- DeepMind: A well-known AI company that is owned by Google is known for the creation of AI that beat humans in games and that can also help solve scientific problems.
These experiences helped Aravind see the strengths and weaknesses of current AI systems, and he began to imagine a better way for people to interact with information using AI.
What is Perplexity AI?
Perplexity AI is a smart search engine that acts more like a helpful assistant than a traditional search tool. Rather than displaying a lengthy list of blue links as Google does, Perplexity AI provides brief, straightforward answers along with links to sources. It uses the power of AI to understand your queries and interact with you in a natural manner, just like a conversation.
Key Features of Perplexity AI:
- Instant answers with reliable sources
- Summaries that can be easily read
- No ads or distractions
- It is similar to a chatbot
- Simple and clean interface
- You can ask follow-up questions
Perplexity AI was launched in 2022, and in just a short time, it became very popular around the world. especially among students, professionals, and anyone who wanted clear answers without wasting time.
How Perplexity AI is Growing
By 2025, Perplexity AI had become very popular, with over 30 million people using it. Every month, it was used for more than 600 million searches. The company became very valuable, worth more than $14 billion. People like using Perplexity AI because it is fast and doesn’t show any ads. It also protects your privacy, which is important to many users. Some people compare it to ChatGPT, but Perplexity is different because it gives clear answers with trusted sources, instead of just having a conversation. All of this success happened because of Aravind Srinivas’s smart idea to make online search better and easier for everyone.
Perplexity AI vs Google
| Feature | Perplexity AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Answers | Short and direct with sources | Many links |
| Chat Style | Yes | No |
| Ads | None | Yes |
| Real-time info | Yes | Yes |
| Focus | Knowledge + sources | General search |
Google has been the most popular search engine for many years. When you search something on Google, it shows you a long list of sources, and you have to read through them and figure out the information yourself. Sometimes, it takes time and can feel confusing, especially if the websites are filled with ads.
Perplexity AI, on the other hand, works more like a smart tutor. Instead of just giving links, it reads through the web and gives you a short answer. It also shows where the answer came from, so you know it’s trustworthy, and if you have more questions, you can ask follow-up questions.
Other Projects of Aravind Srinivas: The Comet Browser
Presently, Aravind & his team are creating an AI-powered web browser called Comet. It allows you to navigate the web faster, and it is free from both ads and trackers.
Features of Comet:
- Smart Suggestions: Comet understands what you’re looking for and provides helpful suggestions while you browse.
- Privacy Protection: Unlike other browsers, Comet does not track your online activity or sell your data.
- Built-in AI Assistant: You won’t need to switch between apps or search engines. The AI assistant in Comet can answer your questions
Net Worth of Aravind Srinivas
Aravind Srinivas is becoming one of the most talked-about names in the tech world. While his exact net worth is not publicly known, experts believe that by 2025, he could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. His wealth mainly comes from his ownership in Perplexity AI, which is now valued at over $14 billion. As a co-founder and CEO, Aravind holds a significant share in the company, which makes up a large part of his personal fortune. In addition to Perplexity AI, Aravind may also earn from equity in Comet Browser, his new AI-powered web browser, and private investments in other technology startups.
Challenges Faced by Aravind Srinivas and Perplexity AI
Aravind Srinivas and his team had to face many challenges. Although the app gained popularity, maintaining it was a big task.
- Tough competition from Google: It is challenging to compete with a giant company like Google. Google has years of experience and billions of users.
- Content Complaints from Websites: Some sites were not happy that Perplexity AI was showing information from their pages. They complained that the application was using their content without permission. This generated legal and ethical concerns that had to be addressed urgently.
- With these challenges, Aravind managed the issues honestly. He heard criticism and improved things accordingly. His dedication towards making Perplexity AI more user-friendly made the business grow even stronger.
Timeline of Aravind Srinivas’s Journey
| Year | What Happened |
| 1994 | Born in Chennai, India |
| 2016 | Graduated from IIT Madras |
| 2021 | Ph.D. at UC Berkeley |
| 2022 | Launched Perplexity AI |
| 2023 | Perplexity hit millions of users |
| 2024 | Started work on Comet Browser |
| 2025 | Perplexity worth $14 billion+ |
Conclusion: A New Way to Search
Aravind Srinivas is showing that large corporations are not the only ones who will have the future of the internet. With Perplexity AI, he has created a people-first search engine that is fast and private. He wants AI to be helpful for everyone. The world is going to be watching Aravind Srinivas’ journey and learning from it as Perplexity AI is developing further and Comet is on the way, and this man’s work is reshaping online searching in a revolutionary way.
