James Cameron told Bill Gates that it’s “getting hard to write relevant science fiction” in the world of AI. (Cameron produced the movies Terminator, Alien, Titanic, and Avator, amongst others.)
I haven’t watched the interview, which was in the Netflix documentary What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates. The topic was about AI and our future. But that headline sounds like the sci-fi genre is doomed, because the future is already here.
Many gadgets that we use today were first imagined in sci-fi stories. Think of smart tablets, video calls, wearable gadgets, and drones. That applies to AI and self-driving cars too, although they aren’t as good as the ones in fiction.
But science fiction has more to offer.
Sci-fi stuff I don’t want
Ray Bradbury once wrote: “Science fiction is the most important literature in the history of the world.”
You don’t have to be a sci-fi fan to understand his reasoning. Sci-fi isn’t just about aliens and gadgets. It explores the possible futures of real-world trends and ethical questions. It’s like an early warning system.
Here are some sci-fi futures that I don’t want to see:
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The death of privacy.
POPIA and GDPR created lots of extra work. But imagine a world with constant surveillance and no privacy. No more passwords to protect, or CAPTCHAs to figure out. Because Big Tech (or Big Gov or Big Something) is always watching. -
The collapse of the environment.
Think WALL·E, but without cute robots. I’m reading a story about microscopic machines that were created to solve pollution. Great, until they decided that people are also pollution.
We need to care more about the environment. But you don’t want to chain yourself to a tree. The Department of Water, Eskom, and fuel prices are already forcing you to be a bit greener.
- The rise of the robots.
AI and cyborgs take over the world. In a few stories, they do a better job than we do (which might not be so difficult). In most stories, robot overlords delete us like buggy software.
I hope the apocalyptic trend is just because it creates a more dramatic story. If the current AI debates are anything to go by, we might find out sooner rather than later.
Sci-fi stuff I do want
There are some fictional technologies that I really want:
- The Insta-Chef.
Imagine a device that can materialize the meal of your choice on request. Instead of staring at the inside of my fridge wondering what to make, I can look at the menu. No more empty resolutions to eat more sensibly. And, of course, it must have an auto-shopper to replenish supplies. When I want caramel, I want it now.
The Autochef company in India is working on a robotic device that can cook. But it’s a long way from the Star Trek replicator.
- The Insta-Go.
If you read my post a few weeks ago (Coding matters: When tech meets taxis), you know I don’t like driving. So a device that transports me to my destination instantly is perfect. If I had to drive to work every day, this would outrank the Auto-chef on my wishlist.
I thought flying cars might be a good alternative, but that will mean a new kind of traffic jam. Imagine South African taxi drivers in the air … no. Just no.
- The Insta-Clean.
The dream device. It does everything from vacuuming to dishes to laundry. No mysterious sock disappearances. No unmatched tupperware lids. Plus a special feature to automatically replace tatty underwear.
If anyone’s building these, please let me know. I’ll volunteer to write the manual if I can beta test them.
What sci-fi devices do you want? I’d love to hear your views.