Indian startups spend enormous amounts on recruiting and administrative staff. A single recruiter costs 9,000-80,000 monthly. Executive assistants demand 25,000-50,000. Perplexity’s CEO claims the Comet AI browser could automate most recruiting and administrative tasks, potentially leading to significant cost reductions, but complete elimination is not independently verified.
Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas believes Comet will automate two crucial white-collar roles. The AI browser can automate nearly all tasks performed by recruiters and administrative assistants, according to the company’s CEO, but total replacement for all roles and contexts is not independently proven. Speaking on The Verge’s Decoder podcast, Srinivas outlined revolutionary capabilities.
A recruiter’s week’s worth of work is just one prompt, Srinivas said. “It doesn’t even have to be a prompt—it should be proactive”.
The browser accesses Gmail, LinkedIn, and Google Calendar automatically. It can generate candidate lists, extract contact information, and send personalized outreach emails.
Why It Matters Now
Indian businesses struggle with talent acquisition costs. Traditional recruiting processes drain resources and time. Comet’s AI agent can, in principle, identify candidates based on detailed criteria (e.g., Stanford alumni who worked at Anthropic), though specific capabilities or accuracy for this scenario have not yet been independently confirmed. It compiles information in Google Sheets instantly. The system drafts personalized cold outreach messages automatically.
This automation happens in seconds, not weeks. Startups can redirect recruiting budgets toward product development. The competitive advantage is massive for early adopters.
Comet extends beyond recruiting functions significantly. The browser can automate most executive assistant responsibilities, but full replacement without human oversight is not independently established. Email management, calendar coordination, and meeting preparation become automated. The AI keeps track of responses and updates spreadsheets.
Srinivas described how the AI could handle tracking responses, updating spreadsheets, following up, syncing with Google Calendar, resolving scheduling conflicts, and preparing meeting briefs.
Strategic Advantage
The browser operates as an AI operating system. It runs background tasks continuously. Natural language prompts execute complex workflows instantly. This represents a fundamental shift in knowledge work.
Srinivas believes users will pay premium prices for meaningful automation. “At scale, if it helps you to make a few million bucks, does it not make sense to spend $2,000 for that prompt? It does, right?” he suggested.
Indian startups operating on tight budgets need this efficiency. The cost-benefit ratio strongly favors AI adoption.
What Business Leaders Should Know
Comet is currently invite-only for premium Perplexity users. The company plans broader access over summer months. Early testing shows strong automation capabilities but some limitations exist.
Some users report slower performance compared to Chrome. Certain pages get blocked through corporate firewalls. These technical issues will likely resolve quickly.
The competitive landscape is heating up rapidly. Google Chrome integrates AI features continuously. The Browser Company launched Dia with similar capabilities. OpenAI reportedly develops its own browser solution.
Market Impact in India
Srinivas joins other tech executives predicting workplace disruption. Anthropic’s CEO suggests AI could eliminate 50% of entry-level positions. Ford’s CEO warns about white-collar job replacement.
However, not all leaders share apocalyptic views. Salesforce and Nvidia CEOs frame AI as augmentation tools. The reality likely sits between these extremes.
“People who are at the frontier of using AI are going to be way more employable than people who are not,” Srinivas warned.
Indian businesses face a critical decision point. Early AI adopters gain significant advantages. Companies that wait risk falling behind competitors permanently. The window for strategic advantage is narrowing quickly.
Risks and Considerations
AI automation brings real challenges for businesses. Job displacement affects employee morale and company culture. Leaders must balance efficiency gains with human considerations.
Data security remains paramount when using AI tools. Companies must ensure sensitive information stays protected. Perplexity’s track record and security measures need careful evaluation.
The technology remains imperfect for complex tasks. AI agents can hallucinate or make errors. Human oversight stays essential for critical decisions.
For Indian startups, the question isn’t whether AI will impact operations. The real question is how quickly leaders will leverage these tools. Comet represents the beginning of fundamental workplace transformation. Business leaders who act now position themselves for sustained competitive advantage.
