From Bowie to Bart: Samsung Highlights the Cultural Icons Who Predicted the Way We Live Today

From sitcoms to sci-fi, new research reveals the unexpected pop culture figures who foresaw today’s tech and digital life decades before it happened.

Samsung partners with Fearne Cotton to celebrate Galaxy AI capabilities and highlight technological advancements with the new Can Your Phone Do This? campaign

LONDON, U.K. – 3^rd November 2025 – George Orwell, The Simpsons and David Bowie have been named among the top cultural visionaries who predicted the world we live in today, according to a new UK study by Samsung.[1]

The study was commissioned to mark the launch of Samsung’s Can Your Phone Do This? campaign which celebrates the incredible capabilities of Galaxy AI, empowering users to reshape daily life through unprecedented possibilities in communication, creativity and connection.

The research asked 2,000 Brits to identify the cultural figures — from TV, music, film, and beyond — who most accurately predicted the technological and societal shifts that define modern life.

And while expected names like George Orwell appear on the list, it’s the unlikely prophets from pop culture who are really turning heads.

THE VISIONARY HALL OF FAME

Top 10 cultural icons who saw the future before the rest of us:

1. George Orwell – the author of 1984 noted that the world we live in isn’t always black and white, but more about who’s telling the story
2. The Simpsons – From space tourism to autocorrect fails and smartwatches – somehow, the sitcom that has been running for over 35 years has predicted them all
3. David Bowie – Said the internet would “change society beyond all recognition” in the ‘90s – including how we create, connect, and exist
4. Captain Kirk from Star Trek – Talking computers, foldable phones, smartwatches and tablets all beamed into household TVs as early as the ’60s
5. Ridley Scott –foresaw AI and biometric ID in stunning detail in 1982’s Blade Runner
6. Kate Bush – pre-empted the rise of social media in her song ‘Deeper Understanding’ where she sang about someone turning to their computer for companionship
7. Roald Dahl – Created a blueprint for influencer culture in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with characters such as Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde and Mike Teavee
8. Ross from Friends – Yes, really. In 1999, he joked AI would be smarter than us by 2030 – and here we are with 5 years to go!
9. Prince – predicted online dating and virtual relationships in his album, 1999, which was released over 40 years ago, with songs about how intimacy will become automated
10. Bjork – saw the rise of social media in the 1990s and 00s when she predicted that technology wouldn’t just be functional, it would become deeply personal and emotionally expressive

Brits also identified the top five real world innovations they remember seeing in pop culture before they became a reality, with self-driving cars, artificial intelligence, video calling, voice assistants and smart watches among them.

Almost seven in ten (68%) also agree that today’s AI-powered smartphones feel as though you are carrying the future in your pocket.

Almost a quarter (24%) admit to using AI apps or assistants on their phones daily. Asking factual questions (43%), composing messages or emails (22%), photo/video editing (22%) and translating speech or text (23%) are among the most used AI functions Brits turn to as they navigate life.

Annika Bizon, Mobile Experience VP of Product and Marketing at Samsung UK&I, said:

“68% 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.”

With technology advancing at pace, more than half (68%) of Brits say they wish they had access to AI technology such as Live Translate, Note Assist, and Audio Eraser, all of which are among the many new Samsung Galaxy AI innovations.

Galaxy AI has redefined what it means to live freer and smarter through a suite of industry leading features.[2]

With Audio Eraser[3], phone users can remove pesky background noise to leave a clear and crisp sound. Unwanted objects and people can be removed from photos with ease thanks to Generative Edit[4], while Live Translate[5] allows users to chat across languages instantly and Drawing Assist[6] turns doodles into masterpieces at the touch of a button, demonstrating that with Galaxy AI, the future really is here, can your phone do this?

Find out more about Galaxy AI here.

[1] Survey of 2,000 people facilitated by 3Gem in October 2025.

[2] Samsung Account login may be required to use certain AI features. Samsung does not make any promises, assurances or guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the output provided by AI features.

[3] Samsung account login required. Six types of sound can be detected; voices, music, wind, nature, crowd and noise. Results may vary depending on audio source & condition of the video.

[4] Generative Edit feature for Photo Assist requires a network connection and Samsung Account login.

[5] Samsung account login is required. Certain languages may require language pack download. Service availability may vary by language. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed. Available in 20 languages from launch.

[6] Drawing Assist feature requires a network connection and Samsung Account login. A visible watermark is overlaid on the image output upon saving in order to indicate that the image is generated by AI. The accuracy and reliability of the generated output is not guaranteed.