If This Is the Pace, What’s 2080 Gonna Look Like?
I’m not a futurist - I barely know what I’m having for dinner most nights. But recent events (and by that I mean the general sense that we’re hurtling through history on a caffeine high) have got me thinking about the future. So… yeah.
The last 100 years have been a complete anomaly. We’ve gone from telegrams to TikTok, horse-drawn carts to driverless cars, smallpox to gene editing. No other century has moved this fast or flipped this many systems in such a short time. And if we’re not slowing down, what does that mean for, say… 2080?
I’m not claiming to know anything. This is just some speculative nonsense from someone who spends way too much time overthinking. But here’s what I imagine life could look like if we keep sprinting in the direction we’re currently headed:
Work might not be “a thing” anymore.
AI will probably take over most jobs - especially the boring ones. Some people will thrive in the creative space, others will be doing vibe checks with their hologram manager. Universal Basic Income might finally arrive, but it’ll come with monthly “be nice to the robots” training.
Climate’s not going to vibe with us.
We'll be living through consequences. Coastal cities will become stories we tell. Geoengineering will go from sci-fi to survival. Expect weather apps with options like “toxic smog” and “dust storm with a side of regret.”
Identity will be pick-n-mix.
Race, gender, sexuality, nationality—it’s all going to shift. Kids might be growing up designing their DNA like it’s a Sims character. The next big dating trend? Falling in love with someone who technically doesn’t exist.
Tech will be everywhere.
Your glasses will have a better processor than your current laptop. You’ll live in a smart home that tracks your sleep, mood, and digestive system—and still won’t get your coffee order right.
Power will be… confusing.
Governments? Still around. But the real power might sit with tech giants. Your local school might be sponsored by Apple, and your healthcare might come with a “brought to you by Amazon” pop-up.
And space? That’s Airbnb now.
Moon holidays. Mars internships. Elon’s great-great-granddaughter livestreaming from a space station and asking you to like, comment, and subscribe from Earth.
Anyway.
Just some light, chilled musings about our accelerating collapse—or our next renaissance.
Could go either way. Probably both.
What do you think 2080 looks like?