Over a decade ago in 2008, Pixar released a movie titled Wall-E. This futuristic film served as a cautionary tale. After Wall-E (a trash compactor robot) finds a sprouting plant, he travels to space. Climbing aboard the ship Axiom, he sets out on a mission to protect the plant and return humans to earth.
This film addressed several environmental, economic, and social challenges facing the world. In the years that have passed since the film’s creation, some of the predictions have come true while others haven’t. Here are 5 things Wall-E got right about the future and 5 it got wrong.
Right: Pollution Is A Big Problem
In Wall-E, the earth has become so polluted with trash that the planet becomes uninhabitable, forcing humans to flee earth and live on spaceships. While things haven’t quite escalated to that level, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a real problem.
Pollution has continued to negatively impact Earth with garbage building up and the air quality suffering. Global warming has become a more serious conversation in media and political campaigns. Needless to say, it seems to have drawn on some very real and pressing issues in this respect.
Wrong: We Don’t Live In Space
While Earth may be suffering, it is still inhabitable. As of now, the technology to sustain the entirety of our lives on a big spaceship such as the Axiom has not been developed. While scientists have begun to explore other planets that are suitable for humans, they haven’t been successful as of yet. The actual entirety of our species surviving anywhere other than Earth still seems very far off.
Right: Robots As Workers
Robots have continued to take over workspaces. In the film Wall-E the robots seem to do all of the work. There are service bots, security bots, and even a robot controlling the ship. These robots are not that far removed from our reality.
The closest working robots which resemble the robots of the film are the stock checking robots which have begun to spring up in grocery stores. In homes, personal cleaning robots have become popular. The presence of robots will only increase as developers work to improve upon current technology.
Wrong: No Virtual Clothing
In the movie Wall-E, everybody wears skin-tight jumpsuits. It is revealed that these jumpsuits can easily change colors with just the press of a button. Unfortunately, virtual clothes do not exist. While clothes that can change their look with a hit of a button would be extremely valuable, we are going to have to wait a while before this becomes a reality.
Right: Overwhelming Advertisements
In Wall-E the characters are constantly bombarded with advertisements and marketing messaging. Unfortunately, this depiction hits a little too close to home. Between radio, television, billboards, cell phones, and more – advertising is everywhere.
People are constantly being influenced by subliminal messages encouraging their purchase of a specific product. What’s worse is that companies collect information from personal accounts to determine the best type of products to advertise to each individual, ensuring that people are receiving targeted adverts specific to them.
Wrong: Quality Of Food
In the movie, all the meals come in the form of “food in a cup.” This mysterious liquefied food is the only source of nutrients available to the characters. Luckily, this is not true. There is still a large variety of foods available with new trends popping up each day.
In fact, since this movie came out it seems that more people have become invested in making sure they are putting quality food into their bodies. Maybe this cautionary tale helped to contribute to some of the modern-day health food trends!
Right: Large Companies Rule
In the movie Wall-E the large evil company Buy N’ Large is the company that manages everything. They have a monopoly and are the sole provisioner of basic, day-to-day needs and sundries. While today there is not one singular company managing everything, there are several large companies that control a large majority of market space. With companies continuing to merge and buy each other out, we are only getting closer to one giant monopolizing corporation.
Wrong: We Still Have Plants
In the movie Wall-E, Earth has gotten so bad that there is no sustainable plant life until Wall-E magically finds the one sapling. While deforestation and the destruction of entire ecosystems is a very real issue, there is still plant life on Earth. The destruction of every plant on Earth would be hugely devastating. It’s doubtful humans would survive in this circumstance – even with some of the technology present in Wall-E.
Right: Virtual Communication
Humans are constantly glued to a screen. Whether it be a phone, a laptop, a television, or a tablet, screens are everywhere. Many jobs require their employees to work via these screens all day. When employees return home, many continue to use these screens for enjoyment in their free time.
While viewers may look at the film and wonder why two people sitting right next to each other would be talking on video chat, many people text their family members from the next room in the house or sit around on their own individual devices. This depiction is a little too close for comfort.
Wrong: Robots Aren’t Sentient
In the film, the robot pilot of the ship AUTO has taken over the controls and begun to think for itself. In line with its mission, it has destroyed evidence proving it is time to return to earth and has manipulated captains for centuries.
While autopilots are certainly a real thing – with many airplanes and self-driving cars relying on this technology, these robots can not think for themselves and still need humans to assist in making sure everything is running smoothly. That said, with recent advancements in artificial intelligence, we might not be too far off, either.
