Udemy's cofounder said he's got a way to avoid hiring interns for 'painful and inefficient' work that one person can do

Gagan Biyani, the cofounder of Udemy, recently shared insights on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the hiring landscape for his new online learning platform, Maven. In a LinkedIn post, he reflected on the time when his team relied heavily on interns to handle time-consuming tasks. Biyani reminisced about the early days at Udemy, where six interns were tasked with scouting potential instructors. They spent countless hours combing through YouTube and blogs to compile leads, drafting personalized outreach messages that required his approval. "It was painful and inefficient," he admitted. Although this approach helped Udemy gain traction, the amount of oversight needed was significant. Fast forward to today, and Biyani claims that AI tools have eliminated the need for such extensive intern involvement. Now, one employee using AI can achieve the productivity levels of the entire previous intern team. "She can parse through millions of profiles and find the exact match we need," he explained, highlighting the significant improvements in efficiency. However, Biyani cautioned against the misconception that AI can instantly replace human interns. He emphasized that setting up AI tools requires human oversight, including monitoring outputs, crafting messages, and ongoing training. "It's like managing hundreds of interns at once — highly efficient yet naive if you think it can be done without oversight," he warned. Biyani's perspective reflects a broader trend among business leaders recognizing the potential of AI to streamline operations. For instance, Duolingo's CEO Luis von Ahn mentioned plans to reduce reliance on contractors for tasks that AI can efficiently handle. This has sparked discussions about job security and the need for workers to demonstrate value beyond routine tasks. Paul Graham, cofounder of Y Combinator, echoed similar sentiments, noting that AI excels at repetitive tasks and that job seekers must elevate their skill levels to remain relevant in an AI-driven job market. He advised that having a genuine interest in one's work will be crucial for success in this evolving landscape.