5 tech predictions the original 'Blade Runner' got wrong about 2019

Advertisement
5 tech predictions the original 'Blade Runner' got wrong about 2019

Blade Runner 023

Blade Runner Warner Bros

Advertisement
  • The original "Blade Runner" movie came out in 1982, and takes place in November 2019.
  • The film is hailed as a classic, and had some of the best early special effects the movie industry had ever seen.
  • However, many of the tech predictions it made about life in 2019 Los Angeles didn't quite work out.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" hit theaters in 1982, but it takes place in Los Angeles of November 2019.

The movie showed audience member in 1982 a dystopian future world, one where the earth is dark and polluted. Blade runners, like Harrison Ford's character, are tasked with tracking down human-like robots called replicants, and killing, or "retiring," them.

Complimentary Tech Event
Transform talent with learning that works
Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

Some things the film predicted about 2019 have turned out to be mostly right. Although the earth isn't in as bad of shape as it is in the movie, climate change is an increasingly pressing issue. Robots play bigger roles in our lives than ever before, and voice assistant are fairly common. But, not every prediction in the 1982 film has come true, at least not yet.

Here are five things the movie got wrong about 2019.

Advertisement
{{}}

1. The movie predicted flying cars, and we're not even close.

1. The movie predicted flying cars, and we're not even close.

Some companies have built prototypes for flying vehicles that are branded as "flying cars" or "flying taxis," but they're far less capable than those in "Blade Runner." More progress has been made creating and testing self-driving cars.

2. We would have robots that are so human-like, they require a test to distinguish between humans and robots.

2. We would have robots that are so human-like, they require a test to distinguish between humans and robots.

Despite recent advances in AI, we don't have replicants, and modern robots are definitely not easily mistaken for humans.

Advertisement

3. In Blade Runner's 2019, smoking was still common, even indoors.

3. In Blade Runner's 2019, smoking was still common, even indoors.

Many states in the US have banned or limited smoking indoors in a public space, including California, which is where "Blade Runner" is set.

The movie didn't see the rise of vaping coming.

4. In the film, people have colonized parts of space.

4. In the film, people have colonized parts of space.

Today, despite the hopes of tech execs like Elon Musk, we're still years away from that being a reality.

Advertisement

5. Polaroids play an important role in the film, and digital photos don't really exist.

5. Polaroids play an important role in the film, and digital photos don't really exist.

Polaroids are still around today, but they're mostly for fun and not anyone's primary way of taking and storing photos.

Next StoryA teen says she wouldn't have tried Juul's e-cigarettes had she known they contained nicotine, and is now considering a lawsuit