- We may not all be flying cars these days, but other things out of a sci-fi movie have come to fruition...
Science fiction is a genre that has believed in making cutting-edge technology-based movies for a very long time. The ideas and imagination shown in the films were so futuristic that they forced everyone to think big.
Today, the technologies displayed in some of these movies are no more an idea. Many of them have become a reality. It is funny also how films in the first place gave the ideas of many technologies and showed people a kind of trailer of what the future holds for them.
This article is dedicated to such technological developments, which was an idea once, but now we are using it daily (or not yet).
Technologies That Are Reality Now
The Invention of The Mobile Phone
The most prominent and authentic example of technological development was first showcased in the movie Star Trek. In the film, communication was always done by a device called a communicator. The communication technology shown in this movie is pretty accurate in that it made everyone realize how it is going to be real someday.
Furthermore, in 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the concept of Apple’s iPhone, which is again an incredible advancement in communication technology. Here you can see how accurately everything demonstrated from the movie became a reality over time.
Remote Control Technology
A telephonic conversation started with an implantable metal piece showcased for the first time in Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991). Later on, it became a reality to be used as a Remote-Control Technology.
Moreover, MIT developed a prototype of an implantable medical device that could monitor the health conditions inside the body. It transmits data to any other electronic device like mobile phones, tablets, etc. For instance, brain implants are now an option to treat mental conditions like depression.
Artificial Intelligence
It is possible that machines perform tasks without human involvement. This idea was first showcased in the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey (1968). It became partially true when Siri was introduced as an intelligent assistant made by Apple to understand speech and execute commands like humans.
Currently, many companies are working on building a device that will have abilities to think and recognize patterns just like humans do. You might have seen Sophia; the human-like robot activated in 2014. Did you ever expect to see a humanoid actually being interviewed by journalists? And now, in 2021, the creators of Sophia hope to start the mass production of their humanoids by the end of the year.
Movies Showcasing Privacy-Threatening Concepts
While the monitoring happening right now is not via implants, entities have plenty of ways to surveil citizens. The digital space is a tightly monitored environment, and there is no surprise why. Digital crimes are an issue, and establishing boundaries is difficult. However, we do lose our privacy and must adapt to the ever-growing digital surveillance.
Thus, many users choose to stay more anonymous without letting random companies harvest their data. Privacy-focused browsers help, and quitting social media is an excellent solution to keeping a low profile. Sadly, there are many details you reveal without even realizing it. Take your IP address: it reveals your approximate location and works as an identifier. It is possible to hide it, but you need special software called a Virtual Private Network. It lets you change your IP address and stop IP-based tracking.
Various television shows and movies depict how big companies track all our activities and access our data for their use.
The Great Hack. This movie has portrayed the issue of privacy in a very bold way. The film showcases the story of data harvesting by Cambridge Analytica from Facebook. The movie also shows how it can be used to manipulate elections. The real issue is that we are entirely unaware of all these things until a big scandal breaks out in front of us.
Implants. It is a spooky concept, and you might recall seeing it on Black Mirror, where characters had digital implants inside their bodies. They could easily access the internet and data privately without having a single device by using that digital chip. In real life, this is not in the working stage yet, but scientists are working on it. While the technology is not out yet, all signs show it is a strong possibility.
This movie is based on the real story of former CIA agent Edward Snowden who gave away secret documents about how government agencies were spying on citizens by using mass surveillance. This movie shows how critical it is to be aware of your privacy and data leaks if you are using online services. It also warns that everything will become public eventually, so better take control of what you want to share instead of letting others decide for you.
Terms and Conditions May Apply. This movie was released in 2014 and has become a successful attempt at raising awareness of privacy issues. It is an American documentary film about internet privacy and how companies invade it to use our data in ways we never imagined. The movie has documented the views of former CEO of Google Eric Schmidt and CEO Facebook Mark Zuckerberg. Their explanation has blown people’s minds about how these terms and conditions can harm each one of us.