Perplexity ranks first among ‘most likely to fail’ startups at a major San Francisco AI summit | – The Times of India

In a striking moment that cut through the hype of the AI boom, Perplexity, the search startup positioning itself as Google’s next big challenger, was ranked the No. 1 startup “most likely to fail” at a major San Francisco tech summit, according to Business Insider. The informal poll, held at the Cerebral Valley AI Conference and attended by more than 300 founders and investors, revealed a growing scepticism around the company’s blistering valuation and relentless fundraising streak.

A brutal verdict for Perplexity’s growing ambitions

The Cerebral Valley Conference, known for drawing the most active voices in the AI ecosystem, posed a rare question: Which billion-dollar AI startup would you bet against?Despite its momentum and massive funding rounds, Perplexity emerged as the top pick. Many attendees cited the company’s frantic pace of capital raises and investor-frenzy valuations, reportedly swinging between $14 billion and $50 billion, as signs of overheating.OpenAI followed in second place, a surprising turn for the perceived poster child of the AI era. The poll highlighted not just individual concerns but an industry grappling with the reality of its own inflated expectations.Perplexity has spent the past year branding itself as the next major threat to Google Search. Led by CEO Aravind Srinivas, the company has enjoyed explosive attention, high-profile investors and an aggressive strategy to dominate AI-powered search.But insiders are privately wondering…