He's building the company that could dethrone Google. Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity AI, joins Forward Future for an in-depth conversation about the company's audacious browser launch, their strategy to compete with tech giants, and why the future of web browsing will be powered by AI agents.

In this revealing interview, Aravind explains why Perplexity built their own browser from scratch in just 8 months, how they're avoiding the advertising trap that could destroy Google's business model, and his candid thoughts on AI's impact on jobs.

Key Moments from the Interview

00:00 – Intro
The browser wars are back, and AI is the weapon of choice.

02:30 – Why Build a Browser?
"Most of the user queries are going through the search box on a browser... 15 billion of them daily."

08:45 – The Google Playbook
How Google's own history with the toolbar reveals why browser control matters.

15:20 – Agent-Powered Browsing
The future where AI handles your emails, schedules meetings, and shops for you.

22:00 – Security by Design
Why Perplexity keeps your logins local while OpenAI stores them on servers.

28:15 – Competing with Giants
"I'm not interested in playing for number two. I want to play for number one."

35:40 – The Economics of Disruption
How AI agents could destroy Google's $200+ billion advertising business.

42:00 – No Plans for Ads
"If everybody has to do ads, Google's always going to keep winning."

48:30 – AI and Employment
"It's going to need more out of us to stay up to date than our usual rate of adaptation."

Full Interview: Aravind Srinivas on Building Comet Browser, Beating Google, and the Future of AI Agents