Perplexity co-founder Aravind Srinivas recently joined Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath on the WTF Online podcast, where he shared insights into his early influences, experiences in Bengaluru, and journey into artificial intelligence.
Srinivas recounted how his mother had always envisioned him studying at IIT Madras. “Every time we would go on a bus and pass by the IIT Madras campus, my mom would point to the campus and say, ‘This is where you’re going to study.’ It’s not even like you should study; this is where you’re going to study. So that was the expectation,” he recalled.
During a three-week internship in Bengaluru, Srinivas admitted he hardly explored the city, opting instead to stay indoors and work. He cited the city’s infamous traffic as a reason for his decision.
“I was in Koramangala but didn’t really go out. I just worked the whole time. Looking back, maybe I should have explored,” he said, adding, “The traffic was bad even then, and I hear it’s even worse now. So, staying in and working was probably the smarter choice.”
Aravind Srinivas’s AI journey and passion for work
Srinivas’ fascination with artificial intelligence began with a Kaggle competition, which introduced him to machine learning. “That was my entry into AI. It wasn’t just about winning—it was about figuring out how machines learn from data,” he explained.
Discussing his intense work ethic, Srinivas expressed pride in his dedication. When asked why he pushes himself so hard, he responded, “I enjoy it. It’s not about chasing some big goal; it’s about doing what I love.”
During the podcast, he also reflected on an intense discussion with AI researcher and podcaster Lex Fridman, who grilled him on neural networks, AI fundamentals, and Google’s commercial AI strategy.