What's The Point of A Future The Movies Didn't Predict



We are living in the future.

​Sure, it feels like the present, but watch any classic sci-fi movie, and you'll understand how much humans overestimate other humans. 

Classic films expected the 2000s to be a time of pivotal growth aided by pioneering technology. There were going to be flying cars, robot assistants, and hyperloops that would expedite long-distance travel; the list is endless.

​There was even supposed to be a war with robots as they malfunctioned and became self-aware. The movies promised a dystopian future where we were all supposed to wear leather and eye each other suspiciously, wondering if others were after our food supplies.
​Instead, we have apps on our phones that are addictive enough to keep us distracted from the mundane. 

We have an economy on the brink of collapse and world leaders debating the benefits of continued war. We have AI, but it is currently being used to edit photos and put celebrities in indecent postures.
​Inflation is high, so many of us can't afford food. 

Perhaps the sci-fi movies got that part right. But we can’t afford leather, and it is mostly banned anyway. Just like in the movies, the job market is at a low point, but still no fast-travel devices, sorry.

​The future is here, but we are too busy trying to survive our present to expend energy on "making the world a better place" or "using technology for good." The least we can do is use technology to budget limited finances and try to stay alive.

​So... what is the point of living in a future the movies didn't predict?

​Before you disregard those classics as figments of a wild imagination, remember that every new technology was born from an idea. Many thought these concepts were impossible or ridiculous, but a few decided to build them anyway, which is why today we have computers, the internet, and AI.

​We could have achieved so much more. We could have had those flying cars, robot assistants, and machines that do everything for us, including brushing our teeth. But we are too busy arguing online about things that don't matter or using AI to mock public figures.

​Our priorities have changed. More accurately, we are so distracted by what is going on with others that we don't realize we need to demand more for ourselves. 

We need a better life. We need convenience, and technology can provide that. We could have flying cars, affordable homes for everyone, and robot assistants that make life easier. However, it seems these ideas remain buried in movies from the past.

​On the bright side, we won't have to worry about robots glitching and declaring war on us. That’s a war we might not win anyway. Considering how dependent we are on AI, we’d have no tools to write the prompt to show us how to win.
 


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