David Bowie and The Simpsons named among top icons and shows that predicted the future

DAVID Bowie and Kate Bush have been named among the top cultural icons who most accurately predicted how we live today, according to research.

A poll of 2,000 adults found George Orwell, Roald Dahl, and even Ross from Friends – who in 1999 predicted AI would be smarter than us by 2030 – made the top 10 list.

The Simpsons is known for eerily predicting future eventsCredit: Alamy

David Bowie performing at Boston Garden, Massachusetts, in 1978Credit: Alamy Other cultural icons included Captain Kirk – who used to talk to computers, foldable communicators, and tablets as far back as the 1960s – and Ridley Scott.

The director’s seminal 1982 film Blade Runner is still hailed today as a masterclass in technological foresight.

Meanwhile the sitcom, The Simpsons has a history of uncanny predictions, including Donald Trump‘s presidency, the Pandemic, a FIFA scandal, and the development of smartwatches.

The research was commissioned by Samsung for its ‘Visionary Hall of Fame’ and rounding off the top 10 are musicians Prince and Bjork – with the former predicting online dating and virtual relationships in his album 1999, released over 40 years ago.

While Bjork foresaw the rise of social media in the 1990s and 2000s, predicting that technology wouldn’t just be functional, it would become deeply personal.

Fearne Cotton has teamed up with the brand, as part of their Can Your Phone Do This campaign which highlights the capabilities of Galaxy AI, to go back to her chart show roots, in a brand-new countdown video which reveals the visionaries who feature on the list.

The broadcaster and author said: “These ten icons didn’t just dream about the future; they made it a reality. It’s incredible to see that the future they envisioned is already here, right at our fingertips.

The research also found self-driving cars (39 per cent) topped the list of real-world innovations people remember seeing in pop culture before they became a reality.

This was followed by artificial intelligence (39 per cent) and video calling (33 per cent), along with voice assistants (28 per cent) and smart watches (22 per cent).

Those polled were also quizzed on their use of AI apps or assistants, with 24 per cent using these on their phones daily.

Many use them to ask factual questions (43 per cent), compose messages or emails (22 per cent), and edit photos and videos (22 per cent).

For 23 per cent, they are even translating speech or text among the most used AI functions.

In fact, almost seven in ten (68 per cent) also agreed that today’s AI-powered smartphones feel as though you are carrying the future in your pocket.

Annika Bizon, from Samsung, added: “68 per cent of Brits are amazed that these once-futuristic predictions are now part of everyday life, with over half crediting AI for boosting general knowledge and creativity.

“With Galaxy AI, we’re not just keeping pace with the predictions of modern-day visionaries, we’re actively shaping what comes next.

“We’re turning tomorrow’s possibilities into today’s realities, because when you hold the future in your hand, you’re not just ahead of the curve—you’re defining it.”

Fearne Cotton unveils the Visionary Hall of FameCredit: Michael Leckie/PinPep