The Quantumrun team shares actionable trend insights about the rapid developments in humanoid robot production, the potential of electro-agriculture to address food security, Google’s pivot to AI coders, and the Mayan civilization discovered by lasers.
Future signals to watch
According to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Google now generates over a quarter of its new code through AI, aiming to speed up innovation and shorten development times. The company has also restructured its teams to streamline operations and support faster deployment of new models like Gemini.
Belgium is building a large artificial island in the North Sea to add 3.5 gigawatts of offshore wind energy to its power grid by 2027, supplying clean electricity for over three million homes.
Japan plans to construct anautomated cargo transport route between Tokyo and Osaka, known as a "conveyor belt road," to address its truck driver shortage.
The US Space Force and Space Command is prioritizing offensive capabilities to counter space threats from China and Russia, marking a shift from traditional defensive postures as space becomes a contested domain.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed"impact printing," a sustainable, low-carbon construction method using local Earth-based materials like sand and clay, offering a more affordable alternative to 3D printing.
Researchers have discovered a new cyanobacteria strain from volcanic ocean vents off Sicily, which thrives in CO2-rich waters and shows promise for carbon sequestration and bioproduct applications.
China has announced measures to boost its declining birth rate, focusing on improving family planning, promoting a supportive culture around marriage and childbearing, and enhancing childcare resources.
Archaeologists have uncovered what appears to be a lost Mayan city, named Valeriana, in southern Mexico using LiDAR technology, revealing 6,479 structures over 47 square miles. The technique uses thousands of laser pulses from an aircraft to map landscapes, detecting subtle topographical variations invisible to the naked eye.
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The Quantumrun team is pausing production of this newsletter for the holidays. We’re looking forward to returning with our next edition in 2025!
🤖 The humanoid workforce revolution marches on
Artist: Quantumrun via DALL-E
Humanoid robots are stepping off the sci-fi screen and onto the assembly line, shaking up labor as we know it. From building cars to delivering care, these high-tech “co-workers” are poised to rewire manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics. Companies like Tesla and Nvidia are leading this transformation, with Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots already deployed in their factories and Nvidia's advanced simulation technology enabling robots to be trained before real-world deployment.
Goldman Sachs estimates that the cost of producing these robots has dropped from USD $250,000 to around USD $150,000 in recent years, and forecasts suggest that mass production will drive costs even lower, potentially down to USD $20,000 in the future.
As such, the rise of these machines are poised to disrupt human labor across multiple sectors, much like the early 20th-century automobile disrupted horse-powered transportation.
By integrating advanced sensors, powerful AI, and efficient actuators, these robots are set to become capable, affordable labor units that work far longer hours than humans without breaks. Initially, robots will perform simpler tasks at competitive hourly costs, but rapid advancements are expected to increase their capability, leading to a future where they can handle almost any task a human can. RethinkX characterizes this transition as a "disruption from below," where the humanoid robots start by handling lower-level tasks but rapidly ascend in skill and affordability.
Rather than simply replacing human jobs, humanoid robots will redefine labor itself, pushing towards a near-zero marginal cost of labor. The massive adoption of humanoid robots could enable a superabundant economy, where high-quality goods become cheaper and accessible globally, sparking unprecedented productivity.
However, this transition demands careful societal planning to mitigate a potential global unemployment crisis. Instead of protecting jobs, governments and businesses may need to prioritize people's long-term welfare and prepare for a world where the traditional concept of work may shift dramatically.
Actionable trend insights as the humanoid workforce becomes widely implemented:
For entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs can seize opportunities in the ergonomic adaptation of workplaces. For instance, many humanoid robots might initially lack the specific physical adaptability required for varied tasks. Therefore, custom add-ons, like modular grips, protective suits for handling sensitive materials, or precision-enhancing tools, could be developed to extend robot functionality across different industries.
They can establish consultancy firms that design workflows that maximize productivity in mixed human-robot teams. These consultancies could specialize in factory settings, healthcare facilities, and agricultural production lines, where robots could take on repetitive tasks while humans focus on supervision and quality control.
For corporate innovators
Logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing companies can preemptively address workforce changes by creating in-house training centers focusing on upskilling human workers to oversee and manage robot labor.
For instance, logistics companies could establish training programs where human workers learn to monitor robotic tasks in real time, handle robot maintenance, and troubleshoot on-site issues.
Construction, healthcare, and energy firms can innovate by launching dedicated business units to create products and services that work exclusively with robot workforces.
For example, a construction company could develop standardized building components that are easier for humanoid robots to assemble.
For public sector innovators
Governments can build or retrofit public infrastructure to be robot-compatible, particularly in hospitals, transportation hubs, and emergency services.
For example, municipalities could design sidewalks and building entrances that accommodate autonomous humanoid robots and create robot-friendly zones in places like airports, where automated assistants can aid travelers with directions or baggage handling.
They could implement a nationwide program designed to equip workers with the skills needed to collaborate effectively with humanoid robots. The initiative could focus on industries with high potential for robotic integration, such as manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and agriculture.
The aerospace and defense industry faced supply chain, talent, and production challenges but is experiencing growth, with commercial air travel demand fully recovering in 2024.
According to a16z, monthly active crypto addresses reached a record high of 220 million in September 2024, more than tripling since late 2023.
According to a survey on global art collection, spending in early 2024 appeared to be stabilizing, with 91% of high-net-worth individuals expressing optimism about the global art market's performance for the upcoming six months.
According to Deloitte, government leaders' optimism about generative AI has spurred rapid adoption, with 78% of organizations now implementing it, marking an 18-point rise since early 2024.
🫒 Electro-agriculture: The next food security move?
Artist: Quantumrun via DALL-E
Electro-agriculture, or "electro-ag," is like farming on electric steroids—using renewable energy and a dash of CO2 to grow plants without sunlight, delivering big wins in both efficiency and sustainability. According to researchers at the University of California, Riverside, electro-ag operates by converting CO2 into acetate through a two-step electrolysis process, bypassing traditional photosynthesis. This approach allows plants to grow on acetate, effectively producing food even in darkness.
Electro-ag is four times more efficient in converting solar energy to food than photosynthesis, offering a potential solution for food production in challenging environments, from urban centers to deserts. The process even holds potential for space farming, as demonstrated in NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge, where prototypes are being tested for long-term space missions.
One of the most compelling benefits of electro-ag is its potential to save land and water resources, addressing critical environmental issues. Electro-agriculture could reduce agricultural land use by 88%, which would free over a billion acres in the US alone, allowing these areas to revert to natural ecosystems that support biodiversity and carbon sequestration.
In addition to land savings, electro-ag’s closed-loop water system reduces water consumption by 95% compared to conventional farming methods, minimizing the impact on local water supplies. And, unlike traditional farming, which often loses around 60% of fertilizers to the environment, electro-ag systems utilize nutrients more efficiently, significantly lowering pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Electro-ag also has the potential to reduce food price volatility, a persistent problem in global agriculture. By growing food in controlled environments, electro-ag circumvents the adverse effects of weather and climate events that typically disrupt food production, from droughts to floods. This stable production could prevent price spikes and secure food availability even during extreme weather events, helping insulate economies from fluctuating food costs.
Actionable trend insights as electro-ag is adopted to grow produce:
For entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs could create compact, plug-and-play electro-agriculture systems designed for urban rooftops, abandoned warehouses, or even small plots in food deserts.
For example, they could develop a portable, modular electro-agriculture kit that includes all necessary components, like solar panels, CO2-to-acetate converters, and crop substrates, allowing communities with limited access to fresh produce to grow food year-round. Similarly, they can refurbish cargo containers to serve as micro-food grow-ops.
They could establish a training company offering hands-on courses and certifications for technicians and operators who wish to specialize in maintaining and operating electro-ag systems.
For example, this business could partner with community colleges or vocational training centers to provide intensive courses in electrochemistry basics, renewable energy systems, and crop management in controlled environments.
For corporate innovators
Food and agriculture companies could fund research into adapting electro-ag to grow calorie-dense crops like wheat and rice.
For example, a food production company could partner with agricultural research institutions to pilot electro-ag systems in drought-prone areas, providing stability in supply chains that are currently vulnerable to climate change.
Companies in heavy industries, such as manufacturing or energy, could invest in CO2 capture technologies that feed into electro-ag systems, effectively turning waste into food products while reducing emissions.
For instance, a steel manufacturer could install CO2 capture equipment that supplies acetate to nearby vertical farms, meeting both emissions targets and creating additional revenue streams through partnerships with local food suppliers or grocers who source from these vertical farms.
For public sector innovators
Governments could collaborate with private companies to set up large-scale electro-ag facilities in regions where traditional farming is challenged by extreme weather, such as desert regions or urban areas with limited farmland.
For example, a city facing food shortages could partner with tech companies to establish subsidized electro-ag facilities, allowing year-round food production and reducing reliance on long-distance food imports, while stimulating local economies.
Municipalities with abandoned warehouses or unused industrial buildings could offer financial incentives to companies willing to transform these spaces into electro-ag hubs.
For instance, a state government could offer tax breaks to companies that convert empty warehouses into indoor electro-farms, reducing food transportation costs and emissions associated with food distribution.
How could the shift to AI coders reshape the tech industry, and what implications might this have for current and future software engineers?