Don't panic, but act fast: Perplexity CEO on skills needed not just to survive AI job crisis but also thrive in career
The Pace of Change Is Unforgiving
Entrepreneurship as a Safety Net
As artificial intelligence continues to advance at an accelerated pace, it is reshaping the global workforce and sparking concerns about widespread job displacement. Industry leaders have weighed in on how AI could eliminate traditional roles, especially in white-collar sectors. Among them, Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas is urging individuals—particularly young professionals—to move beyond panic and instead focus on adapting swiftly. In a recent conversation with Matthew Berman, he shared insights on the kind of skills and mindset needed not just to survive this transition, but to build a successful career in an AI-driven future.Srinivas offered a blunt recommendation to the younger generation: spend less time mindlessly scrolling through social media and more time learning how to use AI tools . He emphasized that those who become proficient with these technologies will gain a strong advantage in the job market , as the gap between AI users and non-users widens.He noted that individuals at the forefront of AI adoption will be significantly more employable than those who resist or delay learning. His message was clear—embracing AI is now critical for career resilience.The Perplexity CEO also acknowledged the immense challenge posed by the speed at which AI is developing. With major advancements occurring every few months, he pointed out that this pace is testing human adaptability like never before.He warned that those unable to keep up risk being pushed out of the workforce. This concern aligns with statements from other tech leaders such as Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, who predicted AI could eliminate half of entry-level white-collar jobs in the next five years. AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton has also cautioned that artificial intelligence may soon take over much of the routine intellectual labor currently done by humans.While acknowledging the threat of job loss, Srinivas sees entrepreneurship as a viable path forward. He suggested that those affected by AI-driven changes could either start their own ventures using AI or join emerging companies that embrace these tools.In his view, the traditional employment model may shrink, but opportunities will emerge for those who can use AI strategically. He believes the next wave of job creation will come not from large corporations, but from smaller, nimble ventures led by individuals who understand how to integrate AI into their work.Srinivas's outlook is shared in part by others in the tech world who believe that AI won't just destroy jobs—it will redefine them. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has argued that AI will enhance human capabilities and allow people to focus on higher-value tasks.Despite this optimistic take, Srinivas emphasized the urgency of the moment. He encouraged people to act quickly—not out of fear, but with a sense of responsibility for their own future. Mastering AI, he suggested, will soon be as fundamental as knowing how to use a computer.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
4 minutes ago
- Indian Express
OpenAI launches ChatGPT ‘study mode' in India: How to use the free multilingual, interactive learning tool?
OpenAI, on Tuesday, July 29, introduced 'study mode' in ChatGPT. The latest ChatGPT update introduces a step-by-step learning method instead of quick answers. 'Study Mode is designed to shift the ChatGPT experience from just giving answers to guiding users through the process of finding an answer step-by-step,' said Leah Belsky, vice president of education at OpenAI. Study mode is available in 11 Indian languages with multimodal support, bringing voice, image, and text together to make AI learning accessible for diverse learners. Starting today, it is available to logged-in users on Free, Plus, Pro, and Team, with availability in ChatGPT Edu rolling out in the next few weeks. Belsky said that the feature has been extensively beta-tested by Indian students across a wide range of academic scenarios, be it everyday learning or exam preparation. According to Belsky, early testing showed strong performance, particularly on IIT-level questions. 'Study mode is free and available to millions of learners across India. Its mobile-friendly design ensures students from any part of the country, whether urban or rural, can engage with it easily, making high-quality learning support widely available,' she noted. Study mode is useful for helping with homework, test preparation, and learning new topics. To use it, one needs to select 'Study and learn' from the tools in ChatGPT and ask a question. 'Instead of doing the work for them, study mode encourages students to think critically about their learning. Features like these are a positive step toward effective AI use for learning. Even in the AI era, the best learning still happens when students are excited about and actively engaging with the lesson material,' said Robbie Torney, senior director of AI programs at Common Sense Media. What powers the study mode? OpenAI has claimed that study mode is powered by its custom system instructions that have been written in collaboration with teachers, scientists, and pedagogy experts to reflect the core set of behaviours that support deeper learning. 'This is just the beginning of our journey to improve learning in ChatGPT. We plan to continue improving Study Mode as we learn more about how students learn best with AI. Ultimately, every child growing up today will live in a world with powerful AI tools. Now is the time to ensure those tools support real learning outcomes and drive career success. Study Mode is a step in that direction,' said Belsky. Study mode comes with interactive prompts that combine Socratic questioning, hints, and self-reflection prompts to promote active learning. With scaffolded responses, the study mode helps in organising information into easy-to-follow sections that highlight the key connections between topics. Study mode offers lessons tailored to the right level for the user, which it does based on questions that assess the skill level and memory from previous chats, along with improved memory from uploaded files. It also offers knowledge checks in the form of quizzes and open-ended questions, which are accompanied by personalised feedback to track progress. Besides, it is flexible, meaning students can easily toggle study mode on and off during a conversation. When asked if study mode can be misused and what guardrails have been deployed to prevent misuse during exams or assignments, Belsky asserted that OpenAI has implemented robust safety measures, including those that prevent these models from producing harmful content. The tech executive said that the feature, like all other OpenAI models, underwent evaluations for safety before release. 'We see Study Mode as democratising access to high-quality tutoring and learning support across India. This is our first phase of improving learning in ChatGPT. Over time, we hope to build out more multimodal features, like image-generated responses and videos, to better personalize it for learners. In this beginning stage, the hope is to get as much feedback as we can from Indian parents, students, and academic leaders so we can continue advancing this product,' Belsky told The new study mode is a step towards improving AI-driven learning. At present, it is powered by system instructions and allows for rapid iteration based on student feedback, despite some limitations. The company has said that with future updates, it aims to include clearer visualisations, goal tracking, personalised support based on skill level, etc. OpenAI also plans to integrate effective strategies into its core models over time. Through its NextGenAI initiative and collaboration with Stanford's SCALE Initiative, it is also conducting long-term research on how AI impacts learning, particularly in K–12 education. The Microsoft-backed AI startup said it believes that these findings will help shape future AI tools to better support students and educators worldwide. Bijin Jose, an Assistant Editor at Indian Express Online in New Delhi, is a technology journalist with a portfolio spanning various prestigious publications. Starting as a citizen journalist with The Times of India in 2013, he transitioned through roles at India Today Digital and The Economic Times, before finding his niche at The Indian Express. With a BA in English from Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara, and an MA in English Literature, Bijin's expertise extends from crime reporting to cultural features. With a keen interest in closely covering developments in artificial intelligence, Bijin provides nuanced perspectives on its implications for society and beyond. ... Read More
Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
Viral women's dating app hacking: Private messages related to abortion, cheating on Tea exposed
Tea , the viral women's dating safety app, has indicated that the recent cyberattack, which initially saw approximately 72,000 images accessed, is more extensive than previously reported. As a precautionary measure, the app has disabled its direct messaging (DM) feature following another report which claims that the critical flaw allowed unauthorised access to highly sensitive user communications, including discussions about abortions, cheating partners and even shared phone numbers. In response to the latest revelations, Tea announced via its Instagram account, 'The Tea Party Girls,' that it had taken 'the affected system offline' out of 'an abundance of caution,' acknowledging that 'some direct messages (DMs) were accessed as part of the initial incident.' According to a report from 404 Media, the leaked direct messages are incredibly sensitive. Examples cited by the publication include a user discovering their husband being discussed on the app, a woman contacting others about her fiance, and numerous conversations about abortions. The chats also frequently contained damning accusations against individuals, and the publication says that it found it 'very easy' to determine the real identities of many participants or those being discussed. What is the app all about and who hacked it Tea's core premise is to provide an anonymous space for women to exchange information about men for safety purposes, verifying users' identities through selfies upon account creation. The app gained popularity and quickly became one of the top apps on the App Store in the US. However, the app has been plagued by security issues since its rise to popularity. A previous report by the same publication claimed that members of the 4chan forum had found an exposed Tea database containing user selfies and driver's licenses, which were then posted online. A Tea spokesperson told 404 Media on Tuesday that the company's team remains 'fully engaged in strengthening the Tea App's security' and that they are 'working to identify any users whose personal information was involved' to offer them free identity protection services. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Pete Hegseth in hot water: Pentagon boss told to shape up or face the axe, sources say
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been warned in private to change his behavior or he could be removed from his job. The warning came after a series of scandals involving Hegseth that have embarrassed the Pentagon and the White House. One major controversy started when Hegseth fired three Pentagon staffers this spring — Darin Selnick, Dan Caldwell, and Colin Carroll — accusing them of leaking information, but without offering solid proof, say Politico sources. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science healthcare Others CXO Management Operations Management Leadership Finance MCA Product Management Artificial Intelligence PGDM Degree Project Management others Public Policy Healthcare Digital Marketing Cybersecurity MBA Data Analytics Technology Design Thinking Data Science Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Postgraduate Cert in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Prof Cert in DS & BA with GenAI India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 30 Weeks IIM Kozhikode SEPO - IIMK-AI for Senior Executives India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK DABS India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIT Madras CERT-IITM Advanced Cert Prog in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 30 Weeks IIM Kozhikode SEPO - IIMK-AI for Senior Executives India Starts on undefined Get Details Officials inside and outside the Pentagon were so concerned, they held an 'intervention' with Hegseth. White House officials and aides to Vice President JD Vance even began their own investigation to find out if the fired staffers were actually responsible for leaks — but they found no evidence. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo ALSO READ: Bryan Johnson plans to shut down multi-million dollar anti-aging startup blueprint amid scaling and credibility challenges Hegseth's team couldn't provide any clear proof that the three men leaked anything, which made the situation worse. A person close to Hegseth told Politico, 'There's going to be more shoes to drop all around,' suggesting more problems or scandals might come out soon. Live Events More scandals keep coming Another major scandal involved a Signal group chat, where members of the Trump administration, including Hegseth, discussed plans to bomb Houthi rebel targets in Yemen. The Signal chat accidentally included Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic, who was not supposed to be there, which made the situation even more embarrassing, as stated by Politico report. Hegseth also reportedly tried to stop U.S. military aid from reaching Ukraine, even though that decision was not his to make. President Trump later reversed Hegseth's decision and pretended he didn't know who had stopped the aid, even though Hegseth was sitting right next to him during a press interaction. Last week, the Daily Mail reported that several Pentagon officials now want Hegseth to be removed because of all the controversies. The Washington Post also reported that the Signal chat included messages that may have contained classified U.S. government information, which could lead to serious consequences, as per the report by Politico. Some people close to Hegseth are now urging him to apologize to the three aides he fired, in hopes of calming down the crisis. One source told Politico: 'If there's any chance of Pete resetting and ensuring that whatever time he has left in this position is well served, he's got to. Otherwise Pete is just doubling down on the lie.' White House still supports him According to the reports, despite everything, the White House and Pentagon are still standing by Hegseth, and have not taken steps to remove him yet, multiple outlets confirm. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told the Daily Beast that under Trump and Hegseth, military recruitment is breaking records and that Hegseth is 'reviving the warrior ethos' and putting 'America First.' ALSO READ: Texas lake hits 100% capacity after 15 years — officials urge caution amid flooding fears White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told the Daily Beast that President Trump has 'full confidence' in Hegseth, and praised his leadership of the Department of Defense. Kelly also highlighted that Hegseth played a 'critical role' in Operation Midnight Hammer, a military mission that bombed Iranian military targets. She said Hegseth is prioritizing warfighters, eliminating terrorists, and restoring 'common sense' to the U.S. military. However, not everyone agrees with the praise — one anonymous critic told Politico: 'If they want to give Pete a pass—fine. Because at the end of the day, he's going to keep f---ing up.' Vice President JD Vance's office did not respond when The Daily Beast reached out for a comment on the situation, as per the report by Politico. FAQs Q1. Why is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth facing calls to be fired? Pete Hegseth is facing calls to be fired because of scandals involving wrongful firings, secret chats leaking information, and blocking military aid without proof. Q2. Is the White House still supporting Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary? Yes, the White House says it has full confidence in Pete Hegseth and supports his leadership despite the controversies.
