I don’t know about you, but to me, the world feels like it has shifted into futuristic technologies so quickly that I didn’t even really notice. If you had told me in 2009 we’d be living in a world with VR, 3D printing, social media with algorithms, self-driving cars, and AI video, audio, and images so good it’s starting to get worrisome, I probably wouldn’t be able to process it all. And I can’t even imagine what technology will look/be like 15 years from now!
Recently, Reddit user _forum_mod was interested to know what people thought was going to happen in the near future when they asked: “What is your ‘I’m calling it now’ prediction?”
The thread went viral and got over 20K responses from people doing their best Miss Cleo predictions. Below are some of the top, best, and most often repeated comments:
1.“All streaming services will be in a ‘bundle’ how like satellite or cable TV is now. You can have the sports bundle, the movie bundle, the reality TV bundle, etc.”
2.“We’re going to see an influx of people avoiding social media/phone culture as a lifestyle choice. People are tired of the algorithms, manipulation, and bullshit.”
3.“Mine is that our biggest threat from AI in the next five years isn’t that it will go rogue. It’s that it will soon create perfect fake videos, and all hell will break loose.”
4.“The company store (stores that are owned and run by industrial companies for employees) will become a thing again in our lifetime.”
5.“That 45-year mortgages will be the standard like we’re starting to see with 8-year car loans.”
6.“Co-living will be a thing. It’s like two families joining to purchase a house and living together — not in a swinger way, just to afford housing.”
7.“Grown-up children of YouTube family vloggers will start dropping Mommie Dearest-style exposés about their horrible childhoods and laws will be imposed against the whole practice.”
8.“I’m calling it now: In the near future, we’ll see a rise in virtual reality dating experiences, complete with customizable avatars, and immersive virtual environments. Say goodbye to awkward first dates and hello to love connections in the metaverse!”
9.“The ‘natural look’ will come back as the general public gets sick of celebrities all looking the same with veneers, nose jobs, buccal fat removal, etc.”
10.“In the next 20 years, you will be able to get a degree from YouTube. You’ll be able to get various credentials and licenses in the next 10.”
11.“George R.R. Martin will never finish A Song of Ice and Fire, and we’ll be lucky to see The Winds of Winter.”
12.“In the near future, TV, movies, music, and art will legally be required to state whether they contain AI or are AI-free. But big companies will lie anyway.”
13.“In the coming years, companies will start ditching call center staff in favor of AI systems. It will be awful.”
14.“DVD collections are gonna make a return along with all physical media in general.”
15.“In 30 years, kids will find it absurd that we had to carry our phones around with us in our HANDS. Everything will be projected onto the backs of our retinas (true heads-up displays), or maybe we’ll have rings that can project a holographic image or something. But definitely not a huge ‘heavy’ thing we have to actually carry around with us. They will seem as quaint as corded landlines.”
16.“‘Authentic human-made’ will become the new ‘organic farm raised’ — except for anything remotely associated with art or music.”
17.“Cinemas will be nothing more than a niche experience within a decade. Cinematic debuts will move to streaming.”
18.“There will be major breakthroughs in physics that seriously challenge our mainstream understanding of reality.”
19.Lastly, “In the next 10 years, there will be an alien encounter that is broadcast live on TV and the internet.”
You can read the original thread on Reddit.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Source Agencies
