--- title: "Tech Trends 2025: Living Intelligence, Quantum Breakthroughs, and Beyond" subtitle: "This week's episode of Modem Futura focuses on Amy Webb's Future Today Strategy Group’s 2025 Tech Trends Report" author: "Andrew Maynard" date: 2025-03-25 original: https://www.futureofbeinghuman.com/p/tech-trends-2025-living-intelligence mirror: https://text.futureofbeinghuman.com/substack/tech-trends-2025-living-intelligence.html --- # Tech Trends 2025: Living Intelligence, Quantum Breakthroughs, and Beyond *This week's episode of Modem Futura focuses on Amy Webb's Future Today Strategy Group’s 2025 Tech Trends Report* By Andrew Maynard · March 25, 2025 · [Original post](https://www.futureofbeinghuman.com/p/tech-trends-2025-living-intelligence) --- *[Image: Image” Midjourney — [view image](https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/15f7594d-2fda-478b-a896-0b2ac17f9663_2912x1632.png)]* In the latest episode of *Modem Futura*, Sean Leahy and I discuss the just-released [2025 Tech Trends Report](https://ftsg.com/making-the-most-of-ftsgs-2025-tech-trends-report/) from Amy Webb's [Future Today Strategy Group](https://ftsg.com/). As usual it’s a winding and serendipitous discussion (as ChatGPT informed me, rather censoriously, as I was preparing the summary below), but still full of our usual insights, humor, and unexpected connections. Listen below on [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tech-trends-2025-exploring-futures-of-living-intelligence/id1771688480?i=1000700720813) or on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Jj0MFynYB3jMCzVg0fGe9) or [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC7tgHe3LNk). And if you want to jump to specific entry points, there’s ChatGPT o1-Pro generated summary with approximate time stamps[^1] following it. *[Podcast: [Tech Trends 2025: Exploring Futures of Living Intelligence](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tech-trends-2025-exploring-futures-of-living-intelligence/id1771688480?i=1000700720813&uo=4) on Apple Podcasts]* ### Entry points from the brain of ChatGPT o1-Pro: #### **Introducing the 2025 Tech Trends Report** Why a 1,000-Page Tech Trends Report Matters **[Approx. Timestamp:](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Jj0MFynYB3jMCzVg0fGe9?t=912)**[15:12–21:50](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Jj0MFynYB3jMCzVg0fGe9?t=912) The hosts open the show, welcome newcomers to *Modem Futura,* and introduce Amy Webb’s newly released **2025 Tech Trends Report** from the Future Today Strategy Group. They discuss how the report is over 1,000 pages long, who it is aimed at (CEOs, investors, policy makers), and why understanding big-picture trends can help people and organizations “look around the horizon” in today’s rapidly shifting technology landscape. --- #### **Living Intelligence & Converging Technologies** When Biology and AI Collide **[Approx. Timestamps:](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Jj0MFynYB3jMCzVg0fGe9?t=1310)**[21:50–28:15](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Jj0MFynYB3jMCzVg0fGe9?t=1310) The hosts explore the notion of “living intelligence”—where **AI, sensor technology, and biotechnology** begin to merge. They bring up ongoing research into blending **biological neurons** with computer chips and discuss how combining biology and cutting-edge AI may lead to systems that can learn and adapt in near-human (or beyond-human) ways over the next five years. --- #### **Robots Beyond the Factory Floor** From Assembly Lines to Living Rooms **[Approx. Timestamps:](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Jj0MFynYB3jMCzVg0fGe9?t=1695)**[28:15–35:00](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Jj0MFynYB3jMCzVg0fGe9?t=1695) A major theme is the **next generation of robots** leaving tightly controlled industrial settings to enter everyday environments. The hosts highlight the push toward **humanoid robots** (like those from Tesla or Figure AI), the potential creepiness factor of having a “person-shaped machine” in your home, and the huge possibilities for **assistive uses**—for instance, helping older adults remain independent. They also connect this rise of humanoid robots to the “uncanny valley” effect and societal acceptance challenges. --- #### **Agentic AI & Its Breakaway Potential** When AI Sets Its Own Goals **[Approx. Timestamps:](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Jj0MFynYB3jMCzVg0fGe9?t=2304)**[38:24–45:00](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Jj0MFynYB3jMCzVg0fGe9?t=2304) The conversation turns to **“agentic” AI**—intelligent systems capable of making decisions and carrying out tasks **without direct human oversight**. They mull over the near-term implications (like delegating complex chores or entire research projects to AI) and the alignment/safety questions that arise. The hosts imagine scenarios where an agentic AI runs a scientific lab, orders chemicals, conducts experiments, and writes up results—dramatically transforming research, discovery, and daily life. --- #### **Key Frontiers: Metamaterials, Quantum Computing, and Cislunar Space** Shaping the Future, From Atom-Scale Materials to the Moon **[Approx. Timestamps:](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Jj0MFynYB3jMCzVg0fGe9?t=2635)**[43:45–end (1:09:42)](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7Jj0MFynYB3jMCzVg0fGe9?t=2635) In the final major stretch, the hosts run through additional “top 10” tech takeaways from the report—particularly **metamaterials** (engineered at the nanoscale for novel properties), **quantum computing** (and the all-important challenge of error-correction), and **private enterprise in cislunar space** (the emerging economy between Earth and the Moon). They tie these themes back to broader forces—like the climate crisis accelerating tech adoption and the prospect of advanced AI guiding discovery in metamaterials, nuclear power, and space infrastructure. --- As always you can watch the episode on YouTube as well as listening to us: *[YouTube video: ]* If you find the podcast useful or think others will enjoy listening, please do share it with colleagues and leave us a rating or review.[^1](https://text.futureofbeinghuman.com/substack/hype-hope-and-the-human-element-in-ai.html) Thanks! Andrew ## Notes [^1]: As generative AI still struggles to accurately align themes and timestamps in fast paced conversations, I’ve tweaked these a bit. Plus, I was disappointed that ChatGPT completely failed to pick up on the Wallace and Gromit reference! Clearly there’s still some value in being human in the world … --- *This Markdown file is a text-only version of “Tech Trends 2025: Living Intelligence, Quantum Breakthroughs, and Beyond” by Andrew Maynard, from The Future of Being Human (). The original post at is the canonical version. Images, video, audio and interactive elements are indicated inline and available in the original. © Andrew Maynard.*