Perplexity is sticking to a plan to go public in 2028, even as two of the biggest names in artificial intelligence move closer to the public markets, CEO Aravind Srinivas told CNBC.

Srinivas said the company was already aiming for that timeline and sees no reason to change course based on the reception to upcoming offerings from Anthropic and OpenAI. Both rivals have recently taken steps toward initial public offerings, setting up what could become a major test of investor demand for large AI companies.

"Agnostic of these two companies, we were planning for something in 2028 so that still remains the case," Srinivas said in an interview that aired Tuesday.

The comments give a clearer sense of Perplexity's timeline than in previous remarks, when Srinivas had said the company did not intend to list before 2028. Perplexity is best known for its AI-powered search product, which draws on models from multiple providers and selects the one it believes is most appropriate for a given task.

The backdrop for Srinivas' remarks is a wave of expected AI listings. Anthropic, the maker of Claude, confidentially filed for an IPO last week. OpenAI also confidentially filed for an IPO on Monday, according to CNBC. While neither company has disclosed pricing details, the moves have intensified attention on how public markets will value leading AI developers.

Anthropic was most recently valued at nearly $1 trillion, underscoring the scale of investor expectations surrounding the company and the broader AI sector. OpenAI and Anthropic are often described as frontier labs because their models are viewed as among the most advanced in the industry.

Srinivas said he believes the market should respond positively to both companies, but he acknowledged that weak debuts could affect sentiment across the sector. He pointed to this week's SpaceX IPO as an early indicator of how investors may react to very large, high-profile offerings.

"I certainly think there will be ripple effects if they don't go well, like there is no sugar coating on that," he said. "The SpaceX IPO this week will definitely be a leading indicator to how Anthropic or OpenAI will go out."

He added that successful listings are important not only for the companies themselves but also for the broader AI industry. Still, he said he expects the market to support them because of their business momentum and technological progress.

Srinivas also addressed the debate over AI valuations and spending. Investor scrutiny has increased as companies and customers weigh whether the high cost of frontier models can be justified by real-world use. In recent weeks, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman reportedly said companies are talking more openly about AI spending and that costs are a major concern.

Perplexity's approach reflects a more cost-conscious view of AI deployment. Srinivas said the company tries to use the most suitable model for a task, including cheaper open-source options when they can get the job done well enough. He said if an open-source model can perform the work 90% of the time at a fraction of the cost, it may be the better choice.

"The future is still awesome for frontier intelligence, but it's not going to be mindless spending," he said.

That stance suggests Perplexity is positioning itself for a market where AI quality still matters, but efficiency and cost control may matter more than in the industry's recent spending boom.