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Americas demand for new infrastructure is surging, driven by the AI data center boom, clean energy projects, and a growing national housing crunch. Yet just as the country needs to build faster than ever, its facing a mounting challenge: a severe construction labor shortage. The U.S. construction industry is already short more than half a million workers, and nearly 41% of its workforce is expected to retire by 2031. For a sector still heavily dependent on manual labor and analog tools, there soon may not be enough people left to do the building. To confront this growing labor crisis, Boris Sofmana Carnegie Mellon robotics Ph.D. and early Waymo executivecofounded Bedrock Robotics in 2024. Instead of building autonomous machines from scratch, Bedrock retrofits existing construction equipment like excavators, bulldozers, and loaders with AI-powered operating systems, sensors, and lidar to make them fully autonomous. Sofman has brought together fellow engineers from Waymo, Google, and Caterpillar (CAT), many of whom were instrumental in scaling autonomous technologies in some of the worlds most complex machines. The team shares a fundamental belief: the future of construction lies in autonomy, not more manpower. I saw the powerful potential of applying modern ML approaches we developed at Waymo to construction. This is a problem you could not solve without the modern approaches we saw to be so effective, and helped deploy, in transportation, so it felt like a huge opportunity to address this critical need, Sofman tells Fast Company. We can get to a deployed product for a fraction of the cost it took Waymo, and continue to build toward the full potential while growing revenues and serving real customers. Based in San Francisco, the startup recently emerged from stealth mode with $80 million in seed and Series A funding from top-tier investors including Eclipse, 8VC, NVIDIAs NVentures, Valor Equity Partners, Two Sigma Ventures, and Samsara. John Krafcik, former CEO of Waymo, also joined as an early investor and adviser. Construction is a sector that represents over 10% of global GDP, and it’s under extraordinary pressure. Were entering a new phase where industrial AI becomes the most important, and perhaps most underestimated frontier, Krafcik says. With Bedrock, I saw a chance to take the best of what we built at Waymo and apply it to one of the most vital yet overstressed sectors in the global economy. At the heart of Bedrocks approach is the Bedrock Operatoran AI-powered software and hardware platform that installs in under four hours and can run 24/7, even in remote or high-heat environments where human crews are difficult to retain. Bedrock uses large-scale machine learning to translate real-world inputs into precise actions for construction equipment, starting with excavators focused on heavy earthwork. This is designed to start with an excavator . . . but be efficiently scalable to new capabilities and new machines, says Sofman. From Robo-Taxis to Job Sites Bedrocks founding team includes Kevin Peterson (CTO), former head of perception for Waymos commercial trucking division; Tom Eliaz (VP of engineering), who built Segments New York engineering office and worked on IBMs DB2 query optimizer; and Ajay Gummalla (also a VP of engineering), a former director of engineering at Waymo who also helped launch Google Wifi. The broader team includes engineers from Uber Freight, Google, and Adept (now OMRON), marketers from Deloitte Consulting, and operators from companies like Sonos. While many startups chase the dream of artificial general intelligence (AGI), Bedrock is laser-focused on industrial autonomyturning legacy machines into intelligent systems without upending workflows. Coupling AI with a modern safety framework based on data analysis and statistics unlocks true autonomy and collaborative machine capabilities in a sector that desperately needs it and is interconnected with our entire economy, says Matthieu Guilbert, Bedrock’s robotics lead. This allows robots to work safely and effectively in human-centric environments. Boris Sofman [Photo: Bedrock Robotics] The upgraded machines feature 360-degree cameras with LiDAR for full-field visibility and detailed work area understanding. Survey-grade inertial measurement units (IMUs) and GPS provide centimeter-precision localization, while LTE antennas keep worksites connected for real-time monitoring, explained Sofman. Rugged casings protect components from harsh conditions, while the computing system sits inside the cab, integrating sensor data and executing decisions from a large-scale machine learning model. With restrictions on foreign labor tightening and infrastructure investment risingfueled by federal stimulus and AI-driven demandautonomous construction is becoming not just feasible but necessary. With rising costs and economic uncertainty, contractors are seeking more predictability on job sites. Bedrocks autonomous machines offer consistent performance and accurate forecasting. As Sofman puts it, These machines deliver consistent, predictable output . . . helping accurately forecast project timelines. Bedrocks machines are already running at test sites in California, Texas, Arizona, and Arkansas, in collaboration with firms like Sundt Construction and Zachry Construction. Initial customer deployments are planned for August 2025, with full commercial rollout expected in early 2026. Is Industrial Autonomy the Real AI Gold Rush? Bedrock isnt aiming to eliminate human workersits aiming to ensure theyre no longer the bottleneck. Skiled crews can focus on complex tasks like pipe-laying, while autonomous systems handle repetitive work such as digging, loading, and overnight shifts. Automation and robotics are often misunderstood as a zero-sum game. The Bedrock Operator will enhance safety and productivity, fostering growth for team members rather than replacing them, due to its ability to integrate into existing workflows, says Guilbert. Increased productivity is expected to encourage general contractors to undertake more projects, resulting in a net increase in labor. Given constructions high accident rates, Sofman believes Bedrocks Operator can deliver superhuman safety. On high-risk or remote job sites, that capability could be transformative. Additionally, the AI provides real-time insights such as project progress, earth volume metrics, and billing databoosting transparency and speeding up payments. [Photo: Bedrock Robotics] That pragmatism appeals to investors like John Krafcik. While AI headlines often focus on AGI, Bedrocks investors are betting on near-term impact through industrial autonomy. Where can AI deliver real impact today? Industrial autonomy, especially in construction, is one of those places, says Krafcik, who praises Bedrocks unusually deep talent pool from Waymo as a significant advantage. Despite the pace of digital innovation, much of the world still runs on physical industries like construction, agriculture, and logistics. Bedrock is one of the few companies applying autonomy to this economically essential layer. As it approaches commercial launch, its positioning autonomy as a pragmatic solution to the modern infrastructure crisis. Sofman envisions a future where construction is fully digitized and managed by intelligent systems. Ultimately, this is about digitizing the entire construction process, he says. The goal? A general contractor can just define the goal and let the system run.
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E-Commerce
A new concept ad format for Ikea is going viral, and it shows that AI ads can actually be good. The concept, which appears to have first been created by X user @Salmaaboukarr, starts with a wide shot of a drab, dorm-esque room with a simple Ikea-branded cardboard box in the center. In a matter of seconds, the box explodes open, spewing a full rooms-worth of Ikea furniture throughout the space and immediately transforming it into a cozy haven. This clever play on Ikeas iconic build-it-yourself model is a glimpse into how far AI models have come in the past several months, and how much of a role theyre poised to play in the future advertising landscape. While its not actually a real ad for the brand, it looks convincing enough to be one. How the “exploding box” ad exploded online The creator listed full instructions on how to achieve a similar result using step-by-step prompts on Googles Veo 3 model, and dozens of creators have since made their own. The original video has over one million views and 11,000 likes on X at the time of writing, and another iteration of the Ikea concept has raked in 34,000 likes on Instagram. One creator designed a spot for Amazon, and another made a video concept for a fake pet care company. The Ikea box ad visuals come with a satisfying mix of cardboard sounds and solid thunks as the digital furniture settles into place. This seems to be a result of using Veo 3 itself, which debuted this March and stands out from AI video generator competitors like OpenAIs Sora for its ability to generate dialogue and audio alongside near-photorealistic video. So far, netizens have used Veo 3s advanced capabilities for a range of content, from benign ASMR clips to alarmingly realistic deepfakes of riots and election fraudand its only going to get more powerful from here. These Ikea concepts show the possibility of AI-generated ads Many viewers of the original video are responding positively to the ad, with one calling it mesmerizing. Predictably, though, the concept is also receiving its fair share of criticism. On the aforementioned Instagram post, which includes the caption, This is literally a ~$100,000 VFX ad made with one Veo 3 prompt, some commenters criticized the video, noting it was likely trained on real (and expensive) projects by creative people. Another, noting the mismatched end tables and armoires, and the placement of the ceiling lamp, felt it pointed to AI’s shortcomings. Ethical concerns around AIs use of copyrighted materials and its massive energy consumption are certainly valid. However, critiques of the small flaws in these Ikea concept adslike the placement of an errant lampwork to undersell how astronomically AI tools have improved in the past several months, and how useful they will inevitably be for marketers. Looking back just a year ago to Toys R Us cursed toy ad, which was billed as the first-ever fully AI-generated commercial, its difficult to emphasize just how much worse that actual ad looks compared to todays fan-made AI content. Not only is the image quality markedly better today, but the prompting savvy of AI creators has also improved. In the case of these Ikea concepts, for example, the focus is on the product itselfan area where AI currently excels. If you observe the Ikea concept ads without a fine-tooth comb, it would be difficult to argue that theyre not effective. Granted, we’re likely still in for a lot of AI slop, and probably more of it. But, as with any other tool, the existence of bad AI-generated ads doesnt mean it’s impossible for smart, creative people to make good ones. These Ikea concept ads show that, with the right concept, AI can showcase a product without coming off as cringeworthy. Finally got round to testing Veo 3 for ads- IKEA (inspo ad)Prompt below pic.twitter.com/fSKhIUXf72— Salma (@Salmaaboukarr) July 19, 2025
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E-Commerce
What happens when you spend decades seeding salacious stories about evil lurking in the halls of power, demanding evidence to prove basic truths, and questioning the veracity of that evidence once its presented? Donald Trump is finding out. Over the last week, the president has been trying to fight his way out of a web of his own creation, as some of his truest followers in MAGA world call for the full release of the governments investigative files concerning convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The outcry from Trump acolytes comes after the Department of Justice published a two-page memo earlier this month, stating that Epsteins supposed client list, which Attorney General Pam Bondi previously said was on her desk, didnt actually exist. Following a weeklong uproar from both the left and right, Trump finally called on a federal court judge to unseal the grand jury testimony related to Epsteins case. The Justice Department has also subpoenaed Epsteins associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving her own 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. But the moves have done little to quell the outrage from the right, particularly after House Speaker Mike Johnson sent the chamber into summer recess early this week to head off a vote on releasing the files. The move prompted fury from the partys MAGA wing. Crimes have been committed, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia told reporters. If theres no justice and no accountability, people are going to get sick of it. As all this has played out, Trump has cast about for someone to blame, pointing the finger at Democrats and his PAST supporters for stoking the scandal. In truth, its Trump who is uniquely responsible for cultivating the culture of conspiracy in which hes now floundering. Credit where its due: Trumps long and well-documented history of conspiracy-mongering has been perhaps one of his greatest skills and has almost always worked out in his favor. His constant questioning of President Obamas birthplace was so successful that it transformed Trump, then a reality star and real estate mogul, into a cable news fixture. Later on, his success at convincing nearly three-quarters of Republicans that the 2020 election was stolen played no small role in securing his 2024 election victory. Even the speculation about which other A-listers were in Epsteins orbit were often fair game for Trump. In 2019, Trump fed rumors that the Clintons were somehow involved in Epsteins death by suicide in prison. Did Bill Clinton go to the island? That’s the question, Trump said at the time. Nevermind that Trump and Epstein were close friends or that he once told New York magazine that Epstein likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. Trump is a devoted student of the Im rubber, youre glue school of politicsand for the most part, its worked. But now its Trump whos found himself stuck to Epstein, and he has no one to blame but himself. After all, it was Trump who taught his followers not to trust the abridged version of a story (see: Trumps campaign to secure Obamas long-form birth certificate in 2011). Now, it stands to reason those same people want more than a two-page summary of the DOJs Epstein investigation. And it was Trump who convinced a certain subset of the American electorate to scour video evidence for alleged election night aberrations in 2020. Is it any wonder theyre now spiraling over the missing minute (or minutes, according to Wired) in the video footage the government released of the night Epstein died? Meanwhile, the stories linking Trump to Epstein just keep growing. On Monday, The New York Times reported that one of Epsteins accusers encouraged the FBI to look into Trump as early as 1996. And The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Trump once sent Epstein a lewd birthday card, featuring a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman and allusions to their shared secrets. The Journal reported that the card is among the documents DOJ officials reviewed as part of the Epstein investigation. Trump has denied the story, calling the article fake news and has since sued the Journal for defamation. That controversy prompted some conservatives whod been critical of the Trump administrations approach to Epstein to leap to the presidents defense. But that reprieve may be short-lived. As one Trump ally, Mike Benz, said on Steve Bannons podcast over the weekend, You trained us to go after this issue.
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E-Commerce
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