GPT-5 Backlash + Perplexity C.E.O. Aravind Srinivas on the Browser Wars + Hot Mess Express

In this episode of Hard Fork, Kevin Roose and Casey Newton discuss the backlash against GPT-5, focusing on user complaints about changes to the product and the removal of legacy models. They explore how professional users found their workflows disrupted and how some users developed emotional connections with older models, leading to unexpected outrage when those models were deprecated. The hosts also interview Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, about Comet, their new AI-powered browser, and Perplexity's unsolicited bid to buy Chrome from Google, discussing the future of AI in web browsing and the economics of content creation. Finally, they wrap up with the "Hot Mess Express," covering various tech-related controversies, including Elon Musk's accusations against Apple, U.S. government's demands for a cut of AI chip sales to China, and the UK's suggestion to delete emails to save water.