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Al Gore and Lila Preston of Generation Investment Management talked with TechCrunch about recent headlines, including the tech industry’s growing appetite for rare earth minerals, how the AI boom’s demand for massive data centers could impact global energy consumption, and whether the space industry’s rocket launches are truly a net positive.

Rodatherm Energy emerged from stealth with $38 million in Series A funding. It plans to build a closed-loop geothermal power plant that uses refrigerants to move heat to the surface.

Investors continue to reward Alphabet’s stock after a judge declined to break up Google earlier this month.

Like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Bret Taylor thinks we’re in an AI bubble — but he doesn’t sound too worried about it.

TechCrunch spoke to experienced coders about their time using AI-generated code about what they see as the future of vibe coding.

Tesla’s board chair is defending a proposed 10-year, $1 trillion compensation package for CEO Elon Musk.

Rainmaker wants to use flares to seed clouds — the airline pilots’ union says it won’t be safe.

Stellantis, the parent company of Ram, said Friday that it will no longer develop a battery-electric full-size pickup. The company cited low demand for full-size battery-electric trucks as the primary reason.

Transit tech software startup Via had its IPO debut on Friday, starting at below offering price before rising to close at nearly $50.

SB 243 passed the California Senate on Thursday and heads to Gov. Newsom’s desk. If SB 243 is enacted, California would become the first state to require operators to implement safety protocols for AI companions and hold companies legally accountable if their chatbots fail to meet those standards.