The Download: how to melt rocks, and what you need to know about AI

July 22, 2025
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. This startup wants to use beams of energy to drill geothermal wells Geothermal startup Quaise certainly has an unconventional approach when it comes to destroying rocks: it uses a new form of drilling…

This startup wants to use beams of energy to drill geothermal wells

July 22, 2025
A beam of energy hit the slab of rock, which quickly began to glow. Pieces cracked off, sparks ricocheted, and dust whirled around under a blast of air.  From inside a modified trailer, I peeked through the window as a millimeter-wave drilling rig attached to an unassuming box truck melted a hole into a piece…

Five things you need to know about AI right now

July 22, 2025
Last month I gave a talk at SXSW London called “Five things you need to know about AI”—my personal picks for the five most important ideas in AI right now.  I aimed the talk at a general audience, and it serves as a quick tour of how I’m thinking about AI in 2025. I’m sharing…