[Reading Science] Oral Obesity Drugs, Space Exploration, and AI Agents Will Gain More Popularity Next Year

2025nyeon Jumokbatneun Gwahakgisul Bubun Teurenteu

The year 2024 proved through the Nobel Prize that artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the realm of science. What scientific advancements and technological evolutions await us in the upcoming year 2025? It is anticipated that fields such as revolutionary obesity treatments, space exploration, and various AI developments will emerge as turning points in science and technology. These advancements are expected to bring about global changes beyond the scientific community.

◇ The Butterfly Effect of Obesity Treatments Gains Momentum = The international scientific journal Nature recently summarized the leading scientific issues for the coming year in an article titled “Science in 2025.”

Nature identified the emergence of next-generation obesity treatments as one of the most noteworthy developments in 2025. Triggered by the dramatic success of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist Wegovy, originally developed as a diabetes treatment but repurposed for obesity, major pharmaceutical companies are opening a new chapter in weight loss therapies. While Wegovy is an injectable, oral medications are also drawing attention. Eli Lilly’s oral drug orforglipron is expected to receive approval next year. Eli Lilly’s retatrutide is awaiting Phase 3 trial results and showed promising weight loss effects of up to 24.2% in Phase 2 trials. Amgen’s maritide, administered once monthly, is expected to invigorate the market with its convenience.

Nature forecasts that the applications of obesity treatments will expand further. Researchers are exploring the potential effectiveness of GLP-1 receptor agonists in treating Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and addiction. Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ non-opioid analgesic suzetrigine, expected to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January, is anticipated to introduce a new paradigm in acute pain management.

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◇ Will Trump’s Re-election Shake Science? = If Donald Trump is inaugurated as U.S. president in January 2025, significant repercussions in the scientific field are inevitable. Trump has already signaled decisions that will profoundly impact U.S. science policy and environmental sectors. Having led the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement during his first term to counter climate change, he is expected to make a similar decision again. The nomination of vaccine skeptic Robert Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and the possible appointment of Tesla CEO Elon Musk as head of a government efficiency advisory board add uncertainty to science budgets and AI development directions. Particularly, the Biden administration’s revocation of AI executive orders has intensified these concerns. Conversely, some predict that this could accelerate AI development in the U.S., helping it maintain an edge in international competition.

Marking the fifth anniversary of the COVID-19 outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) plans to finalize a global pandemic treaty by May next year. This treaty aims to address critical gaps in vaccine equity, pathogen sequencing, and technology sharing to overcome the global impact of pandemics. Notably, WHO has issued a renewed list of over 30 pathogens, warning of new pandemic possibilities. This list includes potential threats such as Influenza A virus, dengue fever, and MPOX (monkeypox).

NASA's SPHEREx space telescope. Photo by BAE Systems

◇ Space Exploration Continues Unabated = Space exploration is expected to make groundbreaking progress in 2025. Building on the success of the first private company lunar landing in 2024, active missions will continue. Japan’s ispace and the U.S.’s Intuitive Machines are preparing for lunar landings. Although ispace’s first attempt failed, their second attempt, expected in January, aims for a successful lunar landing and surface exploration through more thorough preparation.

Intuitive Machines, the first private company to successfully land on the lunar surface, plans to deploy drills, hoppers, and rovers during its second landing. NASA’s Luna Trailblazer and SPEX missions will provide crucial insights into the distribution of lunar water and the origins of the universe, respectively.

Solar system research will also enter a new phase. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) SMILE and NASA’s PUNCH missions will conduct in-depth studies on the distribution and effects of solar wind. South Korea plans to launch the fourth Nuri rocket in the second half of 2025, deploying the next-generation Medium-sized Satellite 3 and 12 secondary payload satellites into orbit.

Satellites for climate change research will also be launched. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) will observe and map nearly all terrestrial and ice-covered surfaces of Earth twice every 12 days. ESA’s Biomass project, launched from Kourou, French Guiana, will use radar to measure forest biomass and study its role in carbon sequestration. Nature anticipates that these studies will contribute to climate change and forest conservation policies by enhancing understanding of forest and climate systems.

◇ Advances in Brain-Computer Interfaces = Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, which implants chips in the brain to control computers or robots through thought, is expanding the boundaries of neuroscience and medical technology. BCI has vast potential applications not only in medicine but also in virtual reality, gaming, and human-machine interfaces. In 2025, these technologies are expected to provide tangible benefits to more people.

While Elon Musk’s Neuralink has taken the lead, competition is spreading globally. China’s NEO project is expected to come closer to restoring hand movements in paralyzed patients through expanded clinical trials in 2025. Currently, NEO has demonstrated minimally invasive methods that dramatically improve patients’ daily living abilities.

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◇ Particle Physics and the Unknown = Significant progress is also anticipated in particle physics, which seeks answers to the most fundamental questions about the universe and matter. Sweden’s European Spallation Source accelerator will begin full operation in 2025, providing a powerful tool to explore material structures using neutron pulses. Neutron-based research will drive groundbreaking discoveries across physics, chemistry, biology, and other fields. Additionally, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) plans to complete feasibility studies for the $17 billion Future Circular Collider construction. This collider, the next-generation facility succeeding the current Large Hadron Collider, is expected to deepen understanding of the universe’s origins and fundamental particle properties.

AI’s forecasted top 10 technology trends for next year by market research firm Gartner provide a detailed view of technological directions. Gartner categorized trends into AI, computing, and human-machine harmony, mentioning AI agents, AI governance platforms, post-quantum cryptography, hybrid computing, spatial computing, multifunctional robots, energy-efficient computing, misinformation security, neurological enhancement technologies, and ambient intelligence.

AI agents are software capable of autonomously making decisions and executing actions. For example, AI agents in customer support analyze requests, identify issues, and propose appropriate solutions to enhance customer satisfaction. In manufacturing, AI agents monitor production data in real time and take preventive measures before problems arise. In finance, they analyze transaction patterns to detect and block fraudulent activities. Gartner predicts that AI agents will handle 15% of major organizational decisions by 2028, demonstrating capabilities beyond simple automation to independent judgment and optimal outcomes in complex situations. AI governance platforms manage biases, privacy violations, and ethical issues arising from AI use, ensuring transparency, accountability, regulatory compliance, and customer trust.

In computing, post-quantum cryptography draws attention. It is a technology designed to counter the risk of existing encryption methods being compromised by quantum computers. This issue has already sparked controversy. For instance, Google’s recently announced quantum computing chip “Willow” demonstrated the ability to solve problems that would take current supercomputers 10^25 years in just five minutes, causing Bitcoin prices to drop. Gartner estimates that by 2029, most current asymmetric encryption methods will be rendered obsolete by quantum computers, urging the development of countermeasures.

Hybrid computing integrates various technologies such as central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), and quantum computing. A representative example is the collaboration between NVIDIA and Google on quantum computing design. The addition of AI-supported GPUs is accelerating the commercialization of quantum technologies, which once seemed distant.

Spatial computing is expanding through augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (XR), AI technologies, and digital twin technologies. Energy-efficient computing reduces energy consumption in data centers and digital systems to minimize environmental footprints.

Misinformation security systems are designed to identify trustworthy information, verify accuracy, and authenticate facts. Detecting deepfake videos, a growing concern with AI proliferation, is a prime example. These systems can detect or block fake information on social networking services (SNS) and defend against phishing attacks. They also prevent incidents such as hackers impersonating corporate CEOs. Gartner predicts that companies adopting misinformation security products, services, and features will increase from less than 5% in 2024 to 50% by 2028.

Neurological enhancement technologies improve human cognitive abilities and have significant potential in healthcare, education, and industry. For example, in operating rooms, these technologies enable surgeons to analyze brain signals in real time for more precise surgeries. In education, they provide personalized learning content tailored to individual students’ learning patterns to maximize effectiveness. Ambient intelligence uses sensors to monitor the location and status of objects and environments, analyze data, and respond in real time. In logistics, it tracks delivery vehicle locations and conditions to enhance delivery efficiency.