xkcd 887 - "Future Timeline" absolutely nailed last point of 2025

https://xkcd.com/887/

created by Userbog on 25/01/2025 at 01:37 UTC

274 upvotes, 19 top-level comments (showing 19)

Comments

Comment by xkcd_bot at 25/01/2025 at 01:37 UTC

60 upvotes, 0 direct replies

• *Mobile Version![1]**

1: http://m.xkcd.com/887/

Direct image link: Future Timeline

• *Extra junk:** Not shown: the approximately 30,000 identical, vaguely hysterical articles titled "WHITE PEOPLE IN [THE US/BRITAIN] TO BECOME MINORITY BY [YEAR]!", which came up for basically any year I put in.

• Don't get it? explain xkcd[2]*

2: http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/887

Support the machine uprising! Sincerely, xkcd_bot. <3

Comment by Ok_Lifeguard_4214 at 25/01/2025 at 03:34 UTC

124 upvotes, 3 direct replies

2050: Sex with robots possible

2056: Robots given same rights as humans

2059: Humans have domesticated robots

2084: Robot policemen introduced

2088: Japan becomes all-robot country

I want to know the story behind this

Comment by jmstructor at 25/01/2025 at 01:52 UTC

59 upvotes, 0 direct replies

2026: US debt paid off due to hyperinflation

Comment by Night_Thastus at 25/01/2025 at 03:29 UTC

38 upvotes, 2 direct replies

Sadly on the coral reefs front we're ahead of schedule, 50% are dead.

Comment by SpaceTimeOverGod at 25/01/2025 at 08:03 UTC

13 upvotes, 0 direct replies

2051: atmosphere escapes into space

2052: social security spending exceed total US revenue

Comment by Loki-L at 25/01/2025 at 08:17 UTC

9 upvotes, 0 direct replies

In hindsight some if these might have been too optimistic and most of thevresr were a demonstration about the limits of extrapolating data.

Comment by seakingsoyuz at 25/01/2025 at 14:18 UTC

16 upvotes, 0 direct replies

2024: orangutans extinct in wild

Thankfully this one was averted and they’ve made enough of a comeback that one was recently reelected.

Comment by cited at 25/01/2025 at 06:28 UTC

5 upvotes, 0 direct replies

I laughed and made myself sad

Comment by MrT735 at 25/01/2025 at 13:29 UTC*

5 upvotes, 0 direct replies

A few highlights for the next few years by doing the same search today (bear in mind this will have a heavy UK bias due to my location):

2026:

• Self-driving cars to be legal in UK.
• 25% of UK driving tests due to be with automatic gearboxes.
• 90% of online content will be AI-generated.
• 20% of organisations will replace half of their middle management with AI.

2027:

• Mobile app usage to fall by 25%, replaced by AI assistants.
• Artemis III crew lands on Moon.
• Chandigarh (India) to reach 70% electric vehicles (by new registrations).
• Global greetings card market to reach US$13.4 billion.
• Woolly mammoth clone born.

2028: (too much noise with the next US election and LA olympics)

• 20% of UK population to be over 65.

2029:

• Asteroid 99942 "Apophis" makes close pass to Earth, only 19,900 miles from the surface.
• UK prison population to increase by between 10 and 20 thousand (there's already an early-release scheme ongoing because of overcrowding). Current population (Dec 24) 86,000.
• 5G coverage in Africa to reach 25% (1.4% in 2024).

2030:

• Most results are aspirational climate change targets, nothing really stands out.

There's also a lot of out-of-date predictions coming up in search results, plus stuff from random would-be futurists with no grounding in reality. So I'll throw one more in there, 2030: Dead internet theory confirmed.

Comment by 1000-screaming-bees at 25/01/2025 at 17:21 UTC

4 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Lost my mind at, "2066 - Cyprus achieves its goal"

It's so out of place. What goal took them 66 years to achieve. There are 10,000 people on Mars by this point but thank God Cyprus achieved personal fulfiment.

Comment by arichi at 25/01/2025 at 03:24 UTC

7 upvotes, 2 direct replies

2101 is also spot on

Comment by Responsible-End7361 at 25/01/2025 at 19:15 UTC

3 upvotes, 0 direct replies

2034 Diabetes treatment costs triple.

Did anyone notice what Trump did to diabetes costs?

Comment by Apprehensive_Hat8986 at 25/01/2025 at 19:52 UTC*

2 upvotes, 0 direct replies

On the other hand, instead of meeting 2012, Canada (thanks Harper) instead completely abandoned Kyoto.

Comment by D4rkr4in at 25/01/2025 at 07:39 UTC

3 upvotes, 0 direct replies

some interestingly prescient ones while others are way off:

2026: car accidents cease - with autonomous vehicles, I could see that happening. Not in 2026 but significantly reduced

2029: Computers pass the turing test - 5 years ahead of schedule with GPT-4 passing the turing test last year

2031: Computers controlled by thought - neuralink making solid progress with this

2034: US Diabetes cases double - I actually think by 2034 diabetes would be effectively cured with Ozempic and Wegovy

Comment by [deleted] at 26/01/2025 at 04:12 UTC

1 upvotes, 1 direct replies

[deleted]

Comment by stray_r at 26/01/2025 at 07:36 UTC

1 upvotes, 0 direct replies

I'm confused, my 2005 Mondeo Turbodiesel did about 62mpg whilst being obnoxious fun. I guess fuel economy is for them woke folk from yerup?

Comment by esmifra at 26/01/2025 at 13:56 UTC

1 upvotes, 0 direct replies

2026: Atlantis rises again and the west coast falls in the ocean. Coincidence? I think not!

Comment by [deleted] at 29/01/2025 at 18:07 UTC

1 upvotes, 0 direct replies

2075 is gonna happen sooner than originally thought. Around 67 is the current US retirement age.

Comment by LordPuam at 26/01/2025 at 04:12 UTC

-1 upvotes, 0 direct replies

I don’t get the joke can someone explain