🚀 2030s: Transportation Reimagined

👋 Welcome! Today’s issue explores how AI in the workplace and breakthroughs in transport are reshaping how we move, work, and live. Dive in for the stories driving the decade ahead!

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AI Art Comes Alive on Your Wall – A new Kickstarter project called Fraimic is turning heads with its AI-powered e-ink picture frame. Using voice commands and OpenAI’s image generator, users can create custom artwork without apps or subscriptions. Fully funded on Kickstarter, this innovative tech promises up to five years of battery life per charge and launches worldwide in 2026.

Penn State Turns Streetlights Into EV Chargers – A new Penn State project converts ordinary streetlights into affordable electric vehicle charging stations. Tested in Kansas City, the system uses existing infrastructure to cut costs, reduce emissions, and expand access for urban drivers. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, it could reshape EV charging nationwide.

Bezos Envisions Human Life Beyond Earth – Jeff Bezos told Italian Tech Week that “millions of people will live in space within a couple of decades,” driven by desire, not necessity. He described robots performing labor, AI data centers orbiting Earth, and called the current AI boom “a healthy industrial revolution,” fueling optimism about humanity’s future.

OpenAI and Jony Ive Hit Roadblocks on AI Device – OpenAI and designer Jony Ive are reportedly struggling to finalize their screen-less, voice-driven AI device. The palm-sized gadget aims to interpret visual and audio cues from the real world, but unresolved issues over privacy, responsiveness, and personality could delay its 2026 launch.

Workplace Tech Is Hurting Employee Health – 63% of workers say technology has worsened their well-being, with 12% taking sick leave due to stress from constant notifications and poor digital tools, according to Adaptavist. Experts warn that burnout won’t be solved by fewer tools, but by better training, support, and healthier workplace tech cultures.

California Grants Uber/Lyft Union Rights – Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a landmark bill allowing over 800,000 Uber and Lyft drivers in California to unionize while remaining independent contractors. The deal, backed by lawmakers, unions, and ride-hailing firms, enables collective bargaining for better pay and benefits, marking a major labor milestone for gig workers.

Managers Quietly Use AI for Reviews – A new ZeroBounce survey reveals 41% of managers use AI to draft or edit performance reviews, and 17% even for layoff emails. Over a quarter of employees suspect their reviews were AI-written, fueling concerns about trust and empathy as AI reshapes workplace communication and accelerates HR’s digital transformation.

Germany Sees Jobless Rate Falling Amid Recovery – Germany’s unemployment is projected to drop 0.3% by 2027 as economic growth strengthens, Reuters reports. The economy ministry upgraded forecasts to 1.3% growth next year, marking renewed momentum after years of stagnation linked to the pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

VC Money Flows Overwhelmingly to AI – PitchBook data shows AI startups have secured $192.7 billion so far in 2025, accounting for over half of all global venture capital. With massive rounds like Anthropic’s $13 billion raise, funding is increasingly concentrated among AI giants, while non-AI startups face steep declines and investor disinterest worldwide.

U.S. Holiday Online Sales Growth to Slow – Adobe Analytics forecasts U.S. online holiday sales to rise 5.3% to $253.4 billion, down from 8.7% last year, as inflation and economic uncertainty weigh on consumers. Cyber Monday will remain the biggest day, while mobile shopping drives over half of spending and “buy now, pay later” surges.

Firefly Acquires SciTec for $855 Million – Firefly Aerospace will buy defense analytics firm SciTec for $855 million in cash and stock, advancing its shift toward national security work. The move follows Firefly’s $10 billion IPO and strengthens its role in missile-tracking and early-warning systems for the U.S. military.

Heidi Health Secures $65M for AI Healthcare Expansion – Australia’s Heidi Health raised $65 million in Series B funding led by Steve Cohen’s Point72 to scale its AI medical scribe. The platform automates doctors’ administrative work, already serving 2 million clinicians weekly and aiming to double global healthcare capacity.

Over the next decade, transportation won’t just evolve — it will leap. Imagine cities where your commute isn’t bound by traffic, your car doubles as an aircraft, and a weekend in space is not just for billionaires. In 2025 alone we’re already witnessing bold milestones that hint at a radically different mobility landscape by 2035.

On the ground, electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming baseline, but autonomy and shared fleets are accelerating change. Tesla’s expansion into “Robotaxi” services has begun in Texas, deploying vehicles capable of self-driving with human oversight — a first step toward a driverless ride-hailing future. But that’s just the launch pad. The real disruption may come above us: electric vertical take-off and landing crafts (eVTOLs) are breaking testing records and entering public demos. Archer’s “Midnight” eVTOL recently reached 7,000 feet altitude and impressed with speed and range metrics, bringing the notion of urban air taxis closer to reality. Meanwhile, in California, Joby and Archer both unveiled flying taxi demos in front of live audiences.

Personal flying cars are also pushing toward real deployment. Alef’s Model A — an electric vehicle capable of switching into flight mode — has secured special certification from the FAA, signaling the first steps toward consumer-level airborne cars. In a related vein, cities are planning “vertiports” (mini airfields for eVTOLs), integrating them with highway systems to maximize access and efficiency.

Beyond Earth, private space travel is gaining tangible momentum. The space tourism market is estimated at USD 1.58 billion in 2025, with forecasts showing a CAGR near 17.5% through 2032. Axiom Space recently secured major investments to build the world’s first commercial space station and expand its capacity to send paying customers into orbit. Suborbital and orbital trips—once the stuff of sci-fi—are now becoming capital projects for wealthy explorers.

The decade ahead will test how well we can balance imagination with infrastructure, regulation, energy, and safety. But by 2035, transit as we know it will feel antiquated. Road commutes may become optional; the sky becomes another highway; and Earth-to-space travel could begin to resemble intercity kernels.

Actionable Insights

2029

is projected to be the peak year for oil use in road transport—after that, EVs are expected to take the wheel and fossil fuel demand could start driving downhill.