Can nuclear waste solve the energy crisis caused by AI data centers? Maybe. And maybe much more, including providing rare elements we need like rhodium, palladium, ruthenium, krypto-85, Americium-241, and more.

Amazingly:

- 96% of nuclear fuel’s energy is left after it's "used"

- Recycling can reduce 10,000-year waste storage needs to just 300 years

- Curio’s new process avoids toxic nitric acid and extracts valuable isotopes

- 1 recycling plant could meet a third of America’s nuclear fuel needs

- Nuclear recycling could enable AI, space travel, and medical breakthroughs

In this episode of TechFirst, host John Koetsier talks with Ed McGinnis, CEO of Curio and former Acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. McGinnis is on a mission to revolutionize how we think about nuclear waste, turning it into a powerful resource for energy, rare isotopes, and even precious metals like rhodium.

Watch now and subscribe for more deep tech insights.

Neura Robotics officially launched shed 4NE-1 this week. It's the leading European humanoid robot and it's the most powerful humanoid robot in existence right, as far as I'm aware, able to life 100kg or 220 pounds.

Neura also released a plan to build 5 million robots by 2030, a new home service robot named MiPA, a new 'Omnisensor' technology platform for integrating input from multiple types of sensors, and an app store for robot skills that anyone can contribute to ... and profit from.

In this TechFirst, we chat with David Reger, CEO of Neura Robotics, the leading European humanoid robotics company.

We touch on advanced sensors, AI integration, and Neura Robotics' platform that enables extensive customization and scalability. We also chat about significant partnerships with companies like NVIDIA, SAP, and Deutsche Telekom.

00:00 Introduction to Humanoid Robotics

00:22 Interview with Neura Robotics CEO

00:39 Launch of '4NE-1' Humanoid Robot

02:26 Technical Specifications and Capabilities

04:39 Advanced Sensor Technology

09:24 Artificial Skin and Touch Sensory

14:05 AI Integration in Robotics

15:53 Challenges in Embodied AI

17:11 Robot Gyms and Training

19:10 Partnerships and Collaborations

20:56 The App Store for Robot Skills

22:18 AI-Assisted Development Platform

29:15 Introducing Mepa: The Home Robot

31:41 Future Prospects and Closing Remarks

AI is big these days. Massive. More parameters, more memory, more capability. But what if the future is in tiny AI. Neural networks as small at 8 kilobytes on tiny chips, embedded in everything?

Think smart shoes.

Smart doors.

Smart ... everything

In this episode of TechFirst, host John Koetsier discusses the future of smart devices with Yubei Chen, co-founder of AIzip.

The conversation explores how small-scale AI can revolutionize everyday objects like shoes, cameras, and baby monitors. They delve into how edge AI, which operates at the device level rather than in the cloud, can create efficient, reliable, and cost-effective smart solutions. Chen explains the potential and challenges of integrating AI into traditional devices, including the hardware and software requirements, and touches on the implications for product quality, safety, and cost.

This insightful discussion provides a look into the near future of ubiquitous, intelligent technology in our daily lives.

00:00 Introduction to Smart Matter

01:17 Examples of Smart Applications

03:40 Building Efficient AI Models

04:01 The Future of Edge AI

09:32 Hardware for Smart Devices

11:52 Potential Downsides and Challenges

18:14 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

IBM has just unveiled its boldest quantum computing roadmap yet: Starling, the first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer—coming in 2029. Capable of running 20,000X more operations than today’s quantum machines, Starling could unlock breakthroughs in chemistry, materials science, and optimization.

According to IBM, this is not just a pie-in-the-sky roadmap: they actually have the ability to make Starling happen.

In this exclusive conversation, I speak with Jerry Chow, IBM Fellow and Director of Quantum Systems, about the engineering breakthroughs that are making this possible ... especially a radically more efficient error correction code and new multi-layered qubit architectures.

We cover:

- The shift from millions of physical qubits to manageable logical qubits

- Why IBM is using quantum low-density parity check (qLDPC) codes

- How modular quantum systems (like Kookaburra and Cockatoo) will scale the technology

- Real-world quantum-classical hybrid applications already happening today

- Why now is the time for developers to start building quantum-native algorithms

00:00 Introduction to the Future of Computing

01:04 IBM's Jerry Chow

01:49 Quantum Supremacy

02:47 IBM's Quantum Roadmap

04:03 Technological Innovations in Quantum Computing

05:59 Challenges and Solutions in Quantum Computing

09:40 Quantum Processor Development

14:04 Quantum Computing Applications and Future Prospects

20:41 Personal Journey in Quantum Computing

24:03 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

How will we scale humanoid robot product to hundreds of thousands and millions of units?

In this TechFirst we do a deep dive with Apptronik CEO Jeff Cardenas. We chat about Apptronik's Apollo, his recent $400M+ funding round, the partnership with manufacturing giant Jabil, and much more.

We also talk about innovations in AI that have accelerated robot learning and dexterous manipulation, the challenge of scaling manufacturing, and Apptronik's future vision.

🎙️ Podcast Summary:

Topic: The future of humanoid robotics, funding, manufacturing, and the global AI arms race

Guest: Jeff Cardenas, CEO of Apptronik

🦾 Apollo Robot Updates

• Apollo 1 debuted in 2023; new versions are coming in 2025 with major upgrades.

• Focus areas: larger batteries, swappable parts, improved actuators, and system robustness.

• Push toward dexterous manipulation, not just lifting boxes—real industrial work.

💰 $403 Million Funding Round

• Grew from $350M with new investments from Mercedes, Google (DeepMind), B Capital, Capital Factory, and others.

• Mercedes’ legacy of precision and design deeply inspires Cardenas.

• Funding will fuel scaling, robustness, and manufacturing partnerships.

🏭 Manufacturing Strategy

• New partnership with global manufacturing giant Jabil.

• Learning from Jabil to avoid premature scaling pitfalls.

• Long-term plan includes building out their own capability in Texas and Mexico.

• Manufacturing flexibility is key amid tariff and geopolitical uncertainty.

🌍 The Global Race: US vs. China

• Over 100 humanoid robotics companies worldwide; US and China dominate.

• China has invested $138B+ into domestic robotics, outpacing the rest of the world in deployment.

• Cardenas calls it the “Space Race of Our Time”, emphasizing urgency and national strategy.

📅 Roadmap for Humanoids

• 2025: Proving commercial viability in industrial/logistics environments.

• 2026+: Volume manufacturing begins for industrial use.

• Phase 2: Retail, healthcare, hospitality.

• Phase 3 (5+ years): Elder care and home robots — Cardenas’ personal North Star.

🧠 Vision & Ethics

• “Robots for Humans” isn’t just branding—it’s a human-centered design philosophy.

• Deep partnership with Google DeepMind ensures AI is developed responsibly.

• Apptronik’s mission: build robots that people want around, not fear.

💡 Soundbites

• “You don’t just build the robot. You build the machine that builds the machine.”

• “We want to be the Apple of robots—designed for people.”

• “This is the 1980s of humanoid robots—but innovation is 10x faster.”

00:00 Introduction to Humanoid Robot Innovation

00:31 Apron's Recent Achievements and Funding

01:23 Interview with Apptronik CEO, Jeff Cardenas

01:46 Advancements in Apollo Humanoid Robot

03:47 Challenges in Scaling Robotics

07:56 Future Plans and Human-Centered Robotics

10:35 Global Race and Investment in Robotics

20:03 Meeting Howard Morgan and B Capital

20:41 Inspiration from Mercedes-Benz and Steve Jobs

22:02 Global Investors and Supporters

23:37 Manufacturing Challenges and Strategies

29:36 The Global Race in Humanoid Robotics

35:39 Timetable for Humanoid Robots

39:57 The Future of Humanoid Robots in Elder Care

42:22 Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts

Would you want a personal AI that acts as your twin mind? I've always dreamed of never forgetting anything. And instantly and effortlessly remembering anything I need, right away. Now, an AI-driven app called TwinMind might help me do something similar.

In this episode of TechFirst we chat with Daniel George, the CEO of TwinMind. This innovative AI app aims to become your second brain, capturing and processing your life events in real-time.

We chat about George's inspiration behind TwinMind, its features, future vision, and the LLM tech making it possible. We also chat about privacy and security concerns.

00:00 Introduction to AI and Twin Mind

00:51 How Twin Mind Works

01:37 Real-World Applications and User Experience

03:37 Privacy and Security Concerns

11:06 Technology Behind Twin Mind

15:17 Future of AI and Twin Mind's Vision

21:08 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Microsoft just announced a massive quantum computer breakthrough that uses an entirely new state of matter. The new quantum computer uses topological superconductors to create stable qubits with low error rates.

Topological superconductors enable stable qubits by utilizing Majorana zero modes to protect quantum information from decoherence.

The result: Microsoft should have a fault-tolerant usable quantum computer this decade. As in, before 2030.

In this TechFirst, we talk with Microsoft's head of quantum hardware, Chetan Nayak, who has been working on solving this problem for literally 19 years, and he talks us through the technology and what it means for quantum computer. He explains the methods to measure this new state non-destructively, the novel architecture that leverages it, and Microsoft's ambitious roadmap towards building a fault-tolerant quantum computer within this decade.

The conversation delves into potential future applications, the integration of this technology into global data infrastructures, and the transformative possibilities it holds for various fields, including chemistry, materials science, and beyond.

00:00 Introduction to Fault Tolerant Quantum Computing

00:48 Understanding the New Phase of Matter: Topological Superconducto

r02:10 Properties and Applications of Superconductors

03:11 Creating and Engineering Topological Superconductors

05:16 The Significance of Topological Superconductors for Qubits

09:54 Measuring Quantum States with Quantum Dots

13:03 Building and Testing Quantum Devices

19:43 Future Roadmap for Quantum Processors

19:53 Unveiling the Quantum Roadmap

20:34 DARPA Collaboration and Engineering Milestones

21:23 Fabrication and Demonstration of the Eight Qubit Processor

21:43 Accelerating Quantum Progress

23:22 Scaling Quantum Computers for Practical Applications

27:04 The Long Journey of Quantum Research at Microsoft

33:24 Future Prospects and Challenges in Quantum Computing

38:10 Quantum Computing's Role in Addressing Global Issues

42:32 Reflections on a 19-Year Journey

What humanoid robots is Europe working on? There are maybe 100 humanoid robot companies on the planet, and 16 major ones, but none in Europe according to Peter Diamandis' recent report.

That might just have changed.

Neura Robotics out of Germany is working on the third generation of its 4NE-1 robot and CEO David Reger says in June they'll be releasing it. And it should be the best humanoid robot on the planet, he says.

In this TechFirst we sit down and chat about Europe's answer to humanoid robots, and what Reger sees as a significantly pro-social and pro-human means to bring AI and robotics into the world.

We discover how Neuro Robotics is innovating with their upcoming Gen 3 humanoid robot, 4NE-1, learn about their unique approach to robotics, including responsive AI, real-time data streaming, and the development of a sensitive robotic skin.

We also explore the future of work, the race against global competitors, and what AI-driven humanoid robots mean for society.

00:00 European Humanoid Robots

01:09 The Concept of 'For Anyone' Robots

01:46 Rapid Innovation and Development

06:29 Challenges in Humanoid Robotics

09:02 Neuro Robotics' Unique Approach

17:53 Collaborative Market Strategy

19:55 Teasing the Third Generation Robot

20:10 Challenges in Robot Sensing and Interaction

20:50 Innovations in Robot Skin and Sensors

22:59 Speed and Agility in Robotics

25:38 The Global Race in Robotics

28:46 The Future of Humanoid Robots

31:45 Balancing Technology and Society

34:03 The Role of AI and Robotics in Human Life

38:27 Concluding Thoughts and Vision

It feels like we're at a tipping point right now in humanoid robotics. Models are getting released faster and faster, more and more capable than ever. Robots are actually taking paying gigs in warehouses and factories, and there's accelerating innovation.

Most of the time when we're talking about humanoid robots, we're talking about laborers ... workers who will fill our factories and fields.