Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has made several bold predictions regarding the future of humanity both here and on Mars, the influence of artificial intelligence and even the possibility of humans meeting with extraterrestrials.
"Apple will be around a long time, like IBM," Wozniak said in an interview Friday, as cited by USA Today. "Look at Apple's cash. It can invest in anything. It would be ridiculous to not expect them to be around. The same goes for Google and Facebook."
Wozniak previously made a bold prediction regarding the emergence of laptop computers way back in 1982, so he has already shown somewhat of a knack for divination.
In relation to Apple, he’s backing the tech giant to succeed in the field of self-driving cars.
"Apple is such a large company it has to go after big markets," Wozniak told NBC on Monday. "And self-driving cars is one that we're all reading about every day...So I'm hoping Apple goes the same way with autonomous cars."
He has now made several other bold claims which, given his track record, people might want to pay attention to.
Wozniak claims the cities of the future will be designed and built from scratch in the desert, affording humanity a fresh start when it comes to urban planning, architecture and engineering. While he believes this will overcome housing issues around the world, he does unfortunately predict that we’ll be living in biodomes and will need wearable suits to venture outside.
However, Wozniak’s vision of these futuristic cities also incorporates a lot of artificial intelligence technology embedded into everyday life: from self-driving cars to smart walls and medical devices that will self-diagnose and treat patients without necessarily needing a second opinion from a human doctor.
"The question will be ethical, on whether we can eliminate the need for physicians," he says.
This marks a huge turnaround from his previous apocalyptic predictions of humanity’s pursuit of artificial intelligence. "Computers are going to take over from humans, no question," Wozniak previously told the Australian Financial Review.
Much like fellow tech pioneers Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, Wozniak also believes a colony on Mars is inevitable, though not quite as many others might have envisioned. In Wozniak’s 2075, the entire planet of Earth will be rezoned for residential use while Mars will be primarily used for heavy industry.
We needn’t worry about bothering the locals, or any other extraterrestrials for that matter, as Wozniak doesn’t have “high hopes” that we’ll make first contact anytime soon. That said, he does give humanity a “random chance” of making contact with aliens.
The Silicon Valley Comic Con, which Wozniak also helped found last year, combines the worlds of science fiction, pop culture and modern day technology to explore how they intersect and what humanity can expect in the coming years.
The event will take place between Friday, April 21 and Sunday, April 23, at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, California.
The cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation will stage a reunion at the event and will be joined by guests William Shatner, Adam West and former astronaut and space pioneer Buzz Aldrin.
Gary Fisher, loyal friend to beloved actress and Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher, is also scheduled to make an appearance at the event.