CEO Says ‘Glorious Future' of AI is Worth Workers Losing Jobs
Research shows that artificial intelligence (AI)-driven job loss could have lasting, years-long negative impacts, but Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas said he thinks the pain is worth it in the long run.
A study from researchers at Goldman Sachs estimated that 6-to-7 percent of workers could lose their jobs over the next decade, and they could be disproportionately affected, especially if the job loss coincides with a recession.
According to the research, during past waves of unemployment due to new technology, people who lost their jobs were unemployed longer and harder hit financially than people who were unemployed for non-technological reasons.
Srinivas, however, says the possibilities of AI tech are worth the job losses.
In an interview on the All-In Podcast, Srinivas cited America‘s entrepreneurial spirit as a reason why he isn’t worried about the possibility of job displacement during the rise of artificial intelligence.
‘Most people don’t enjoy their jobs’
“[America has] been about trying to build new things, discover new things, go explore,” Srinivas said.
“I think this whole Henry Ford came and built factories and brought in jobs and things like that, and put people into a box.
“But I think the reality is people-most people don’t enjoy their jobs.”
Srinivas added that AI offers, “suddenly a new possibility, a new opportunity.”
He said users should learn AI tools and start, “your own mini-business.”
The CEO continued: “If it pays for your needs for a year or multiple years and lets you have a high-quality life and good work-life balance, and true feeling of agency and ownership and passion to get your ideas out there, I think that is-even if there is temporary job displacement to deal with, that sort of glorious future is what we should look forward to.”
The host of the All-In Podcast said that users should not be “passive.”
Srinivas said AI, “brings out the best in you if you truly are in a good space.”
A Senate report in October suggested AI and automation could destroy 100 million jobs in the next 10 years.
Young workers in particular seem resistant to the technology: According to a report, 44 percent of Gen Z workers say they have sabotaged their company’s efforts to transition to AI.
‘Really valuable’
Contributors to Reddit‘s r/technology forum felt Srinivas was missing some important context.
“That would be great except we still have to pay to live,” a critic pointed out.
“Could he not have thought one step?” another pundit wondered.
“People don’t like working, but they’re still turning up. The job must be really valuable to them. Taking it away from people is quite the opposite of doing them a favor.
“It’s like someone with crutches complaining of the chaffing, pain and joints hurting. So you take away their crutches.”
Meanwhile, “Maybe people would embrace AI if it didn’t signify economic collapse for the vast majority of people,” a fellow commenter shared.
“Yet I hear zero talk about how people are supposed to live when all these jobs are gone.”
Newsweek has reached out to Perplexity for comment via email.
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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 4:00 AM.