Recruiters and administrative assistants might be at risk of getting replaced by Artificial Intelligence (AI), or at least that is what Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas has predicted, thanks to his company's latest tool, Comet, an AI-powered browser.
Speaking on The Verge's podcast, Srinivas shared how Comet's AI agent integrates with commonly used platforms like Gmail, Google Calendar, and LinkedIn to streamline and automate complex workflows that typically require human oversight.
"A recruiter's work worth one week is just one prompt: sourcing and reach outs," Srinivas stated.
Currently available as an invite-only beta for premium users, Comet is built to act as a virtual workhorse.
The browser can automatically compile candidate lists, scrape contact details, and send personalised outreach emails, tasks traditionally handled by recruiting teams.
Srinivas demonstrated examples where Comet could locate Stanford alumni with prior stints at companies like Anthropic, organise their details in Google Sheets, and create tailored outreach communications.
Beyond hiring
But Comet's reach isn’t confined to recruiting. Srinivas says the AI is capable of handling day-to-day administrative tasks too, functioning like a team of executive assistants rolled into one. That includes managing inboxes, coordinating calendars, preparing for meetings, and handling follow-ups.
The AI can "keep following up, keep track of responses, update Google Sheets, mark status as responded or in progress, sync with Google Calendar, and resolve conflicts to schedule meetings," he said.
The bigger picture
Srinivas joins a chorus of tech leaders forecasting massive changes in office work due to AI.
Others shared similar views. Recently, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned that AI could replace half of all entry-level positions within five years, while Ford CEO Jim Farley has said it might “replace literally half of all white-collar workers.”
On the other hand, industry figures like Salesforce’s Marc Benioff, and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang take a more optimistic stance, viewing AI as a tool for enhancement rather than replacement.
Still, Srinivas offered a clear message for today’s professionals. “People who are at the frontier of using AI are going to be way more employable than people who are not,” he said.