Historian Jill Lepore says Silicon Valley misreads science fiction and undermines democracy
On the latest episode of Equity, we spoke to Jill Lepore about “government by machines” and why Elon Musk is a bad science fiction reader.
-
-
TechCrunch Mobility: Zoox prepares for launch and Uber’s AV empire
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it.
-
Tesla and SpaceX will invest $16.8B to start building ‘Terafab’ chip factory in Texas
After months of speculation, the companies formally announced the massive project will happen just north of Houston.
-
Tesla’s cheaper vehicles aren’t helping its declining sales
The company’s deliveries in the first quarter were just 6% higher than last year, and Tesla now faces a third straight year of falling sales.
-
The final days of the Tesla Model X and S are here. All bets are on the Cybercab.
It’s a new era for Tesla — and one that will rely on its ability to launch the Cybercab and mass-produce the Optimus robot.
-
Tesla’s Texas factory workforce reportedly shrunk 22% in 2025
Tesla’s headcount fell from 21,191 workers to 16,506 workers in 2025, according to a report, as it grappled with its second straight year of declining sales.
-
Can orbital data centers help justify a massive valuation for SpaceX?
On the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, we debated Elon Musk’s vision for data centers in space.
-
Intel signs on to Elon Musk’s Terafab chips project
Intel will join SpaceX and Tesla in an effort to build a new U.S. semiconductor factory in Texas, although the scope of its contributions are unclear.
-
SpaceX is working with Cursor and has an option to buy the startup for $60B
The move could shore up weaknesses at each company, but it also reveals them. Neither Cursor nor xAI has proprietary models that can match the leading offerings from Anthropic and OpenAI — the same companies now competing directly with Cursor for the developer market.
-
Tesla Q1 revenue rises, driven by EV sales and FSD subscriptions
Sales rebounded a bit from the first quarter of 2025, as Tesla throws a ton of money at massive bets like robotics, AI, and its own chip fab.
