Arsalan Tavakoli-shiraji on AI productivity
From Databricks co-founder Arsalan Tavakoli speaks to the BBC · · Vandhna Bhan
“Look, I mean, that conversation's been one that people have been having for a while right now, like what happens with AI? Do people become more productive? Do people become less productive? And obviously we've seen, you know, some news out there as organizations are starting to do layoffs. From our perspective at Databricks right we continue to still hire at a very very healthy clip mainly because I think AI is going to make people more productive in the organization no doubt about that but I also think that the demand from customers is significantly more than we have the supply for right so even with the improvements in AI we're still hiring a fair bit to be able to meet all of that demand.”
On , Arsalan Tavakoli-shiraji, Cofounder at Databricks, spoke about AI productivity during Databricks co-founder Arsalan Tavakoli speaks to the BBC on Vandhna Bhan.
About Arsalan Tavakoli-shiraji
In a December 2025 BBC interview, Databricks co-founder Arsalan Tavakoli stated that the company's IPO is a matter of "when, not if," but said the company is "not really in a rush." He noted that Databricks does not face challenges with public awareness, access to capital, or employee liquidity, and that the company's focus remains on serving customers. Tavakoli described AI as "both transformative and overhyped," saying he agrees with both characterizations. He warned that the market is beginning to overheat, with some believing "the answer to everything is AI." Despite broader tech layoffs, Tavakoli said Databricks continues to hire at a "healthy clip," citing strong customer demand and the belief that AI will increase productivity. He characterized Anthropic and OpenAI as partners rather than competitors, arguing that enterprises need the right model for each use case rather than the most powerful one.