• Source:JND
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Perplexity AI: A web developer’s attempt to show off Perplexity AI’s Comet browser on X has unexpectedly turned into a debate on ethics — especially after the company’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, stepped in with a strong reaction.

The user, who describes himself as a web developer, posted a short video showing Comet automatically completing a Coursera course. The irony wasn’t lost on anyone — the course happened to be titled “AI Ethics, Responsibility and Creativity”.

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In the clip, Comet could be seen selecting answers and finishing tasks on its own, while the user proudly declared, “Just completed my Coursera course,” tagging Srinivas, Perplexity, and Comet AI.

The post quickly gained traction, amassing over three lakh views and sparking plenty of discussion around how far people are taking AI assistance. Srinivas himself eventually noticed it — and his reply couldn’t have been clearer: “Absolutely don’t do this.”

 

That single sentence was enough to set the tone for the online conversation that followed. Users began questioning whether the growing reliance on AI tools was crossing into unethical territory.

One user wrote, “Thanks for creating Frankenstein's monster. I want it on my Linux laptop. When can I get it?” Another added, “Oh… but they will. Companies are more likely to get candidates who use tools like this to juice their resume than actual talent with integrity. It’s a good problem, though. It should induce a greater awareness of meritocratic evaluation methodologies.”

Others took a lighter but equally critical tone. “If my company knew about this, they'd never allow Comet,” one person noted, while another joked, “The very purpose of education is lost here. Please give the certificate to Comet.”

The viral post has now evolved into a broader discussion about how AI is reshaping education — and what responsibility humans hold when technology begins to take over the act of learning itself.

Meet the Mind Behind Perplexity AI

Aravind Srinivas, the co-founder of Perplexity AI, has quickly become one of the most talked-about figures in India’s tech scene. The 31-year-old innovator from Chennai recently earned the title of India’s youngest billionaire, as listed in the Hurun India Rich List 2025, which estimated his net worth at ₹21,190 crore.

“The M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025 chronicles India’s shift from a services-centric past to a deep-tech, product-led powerhouse. The debut of Aravind Srinivas, 31, founder of Perplexity, as the youngest billionaire, underscores this transformation—his wealth stems from building a foundational AI model competing globally,” the report said.

An alumnus of IIT Madras, Srinivas holds dual degrees in electrical engineering and a PhD in computer science. Before launching his own company, he worked with leading AI research firms, including OpenAI, Google, and DeepMind.

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Together with Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski, he launched Perplexity AI, which has since positioned itself as a major challenger in the AI search space.

From academic brilliance to building a world-class AI startup, Srinivas’s journey mirrors the speed at which India’s new generation of innovators is shaping the global tech scene.