‘Instead of hiring one more person, use...: Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas to companies

Aravind-Srinivas

Perplexity AI founder and CEO Aravind Srinivas has said that the company’s new AI-powered browser, Comet, can enhance productivity to the point where companies may not need to hire additional employees.

In an interview with CNBC, Srinivas described Comet as a “true personal assistant” that helps users complete more tasks in less time. “Instead of hiring one more person on your team, you could just use Comet to supplement all the work that you’re doing,” he said.

The browser is designed to browse the internet autonomously, conduct research, and manage multiple tasks simultaneously. According to Srinivas, Comet allows users to delegate various parts of their workload asynchronously, enabling teams to focus on higher-value activities.

Srinivas also highlighted the potential financial benefits of integrating such AI tools into the workplace. He estimated that productivity gains from Comet could be worth around $10,000 per user annually. Considering that digital knowledge work contributes approximately $25 trillion to the global economy, he suggested that a 20 percent increase in efficiency from AI tools could translate to a $5 trillion boost in global GDP.

Perplexity launched Comet in July 2025 for subscribers of its $200-per-month Perplexity Max plan. Following a strong response and a growing waitlist, the company made the browser free to download globally last week.

The development aligns with a broader industry trend, as major technology companies such as Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google-parent Alphabet continue to ramp up AI investments. Collectively, these firms are expected to spend nearly $320 billion on AI infrastructure and data centre expansion in 2025.