Billionaire Aravind Srinivas warns Indian techie who used Perplexity’s Comet AI to complete Coursera course
A tweet by an X user about using Perplexity AI’s Comet browser to complete an online course has received numerous responses, including one from the company’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas.
Aravind Srinivas, co-founder and CEO of Perplexity AI, recently became India’s youngest Indian billionaire. (File Photo)
It all started when the X user, whose profile says he is a web developer, shared a video showing Comet being used to complete a Coursera course. The user later added that ironically the course was on “AI Ethics, Responsibility and Creativity.”
The video shared by the techie captured Comet answering the questions and completing the course. The individual posted, “Just completed my Coursera course,” thanking Srinivas, Perplexity, and Comet AI.
Reacting to the tweet, which received over three lakh views, Srinivas said, “Absolutely don’t do this.”
Aravind Srinivas’ reply to a Perplexity Comet AI user. (Screengrab (X))
How did social media react?
An individual posted, “Thanks for creating Frankistein’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.”
A third remarked, “If my company knew about this, they’d never allow Comet.” A fourth wrote, “The very purpose of education is lost here. Please give the certificate to Comet.”
Who is Aravind Srinivas?
The 31-year-old from Chennai is co-founder and CEO of Perplexity AI. He recently became the youngest billionaire in India, according to the Hurun India Rich List 2025. The list 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 Hurun report noted.
An alum of IIT Madras, he has dual degrees in Electrical Engineering and a PhD in Computer Science. Before founding his own company, he worked at some big tech companies, including OpenAI, Google, and DeepMind.
He started Perplexity AI with Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski in 2022.
