Reflecting on 1999: Tech Predictions 25 Years Later
A look back at tech predictions from 1999 and how they measure up today
Tech Predictions, 1999, Jeff Bezos, Google Glass, Artificial Intelligence, Smart Glasses
London: Back in the late ’90s, everyone was buzzing about how tech would change our lives. Futurists were convinced the 2000s would bring a massive tech revolution.
Some of their predictions really hit the mark. For instance, they foresaw that computers would become essential and portable, and boy, were they right!
But not every vision turned out to be spot on. Take the idea of a “smart box” for deliveries. They thought every home would have one to keep packages safe. While we do have delivery lockers now, they didn’t quite predict how fast deliveries would get or how logistics would evolve.
Then there’s Jeff Bezos. He had some wild ideas back in 1999, like chips in everything from plates to clothes. He imagined these chips would help us track our health and even warn us about mixing medicines.
In an interview, he also hinted that computers would get so advanced that we wouldn’t be able to tell if we were talking to a person or a machine. Sounds a lot like the AI conversations we’re having today!
Another prediction was about “computer glasses.” They thought by the early 2000s, we’d all be wearing them. Google Glass didn’t quite take off, but it looks like smart glasses are making a comeback with new projects from Meta and Google.
And let’s not forget the legal side of things. Back in ’99, experts at Wired predicted that lawsuits over tech issues would become the norm. Fast forward to today, and we see tons of legal battles over AI and copyright issues.