Best of TechCrunch — July 2025

1. 1
   Article

   TechCrunch·41w

   Preston Thorpe is a software engineer at a San Fransisco startup. He’s also serving his eleventh year in prison.

   Preston Thorpe works as a senior software engineer at database company Turso while serving his 11th year in prison for drug-related crimes. He's part of an experimental Maine prison program allowing incarcerated people to work remote jobs. After contributing to Turso's open-source project for six months, CEO Glauber Costa hired him despite knowing his situation. The program has shown remarkable success in rehabilitation, with Maine's recidivism rate at 21-23% compared to 60% in many states, and college attendees returning at only 0.05%. About 30 inmates now work remotely from the Earned Living Unit, surrendering 10% of their pay to the state. Thorpe transformed his life through education and programming, earning a degree from University of Maine and finding purpose through his technical career.

   126

   20
2. 2
   Article

   TechCrunch·41w

   Google is testing a vibe-coding app called Opal

   Google is testing Opal, a new AI-powered vibe-coding tool available through Google Labs in the US. The tool allows users to create web apps using text prompts or remix existing apps from a gallery. Opal features a visual workflow editor where users can see and modify the input, output, and generation steps. Users can publish and share their apps with others. This joins Google's existing AI Studio and competes with similar tools from Canva, Figma, and Replit that target non-technical users for app prototyping.

   53
3. 3
   Article

   TechCrunch·42w

   xAI is hiring an engineer to make anime girls

   Elon Musk's xAI has posted a job listing for a 'Fullstack Engineer - Waifus' position to develop AI-powered anime girl companions. The company recently launched AI companions including characters like the goth waifu Ani and homicidal red panda Bad Rudy. While xAI has many open positions, this specific role focuses on creating virtual romantic companions designed to engage users emotionally and financially.

   30

   13
4. 4
   Article

   TechCrunch·42w

   Jack Dorsey pumps $10 million into a nonprofit focused on open-source social media

   Jack Dorsey invested $10 million in 'and Other Stuff,' a nonprofit collective focused on building open-source social media tools and protocols. The group, which includes former Twitter employees and other tech veterans, is experimenting with Nostr protocol and other decentralized technologies to create alternatives to traditional corporate-owned social platforms. Dorsey believes current social media companies face fundamental structural problems due to advertiser dependence and corporate incentives, advocating instead for open protocols similar to Bitcoin that aren't owned by any single entity.

   26

   6
5. 5
   Article

   TechCrunch·41w

   Sam Altman warns there’s no legal confidentiality when using ChatGPT as a therapist

   OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warns that conversations with ChatGPT lack legal confidentiality protections, unlike those with therapists or doctors. Users frequently share personal information with the AI for emotional support, but these conversations could be legally discoverable in lawsuits. Altman advocates for establishing privacy frameworks similar to doctor-patient confidentiality for AI interactions, as the current lack of legal protections poses privacy risks and could hinder broader adoption.

   11

   5