The Simpsons: 7 predictions that might still come true

The Simpsons has been a pop culture staple for over 35 years now. It has managed to hook people from all generations. Thanks to those ridiculous, colorful characters, super sharp jokes, and honestly, some pretty clever storylines. But what makes this animated show truly shocking?

It can "predict the future!" Again and again, the show has shown events or inventions years before they became real. Some predictions, such as Donald Trump becoming president or the widespread adoption of smartwatches, have already come true.

However, some eerie and detailed predictions that The Simpsons made have yet to come true. In this article, we’ll take a close look at 7 specific predictions from The Simpsons that might still happen. These are not general ideas; they are exact things that were shown years ago but now seem possible in today’s world.

The Simpsons: 7 predictions that might still come true

1. A Female U.S. President after Donald Trump

In Season 11, Episode 17, titled “Bart to the Future” (aired in 2000), Lisa becomes the President of the United States. What’s interesting is that she says, “We’ve inherited quite a budget crunch from President Trump.” At the time, Donald Trump was not even in politics. But in 2016, his being voted as the president proved the prediction true.

This prediction doesn’t stop at just making wild guesses. It goes on to say Lisa ends up as the first woman president of the U.S. Now, whether this plays out in 2025 or not, it doesn’t mean it’s totally off the table, especially with big names like Nikki Haley or Kamala Harris shaking things up lately.

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2. The takeover of Artificial Intelligence

In the episode “Them, Robot” (Season 23, Episode 17), Mr. Burns replaces workers with AI robots in the nuclear power plant. In another episode of The Simpsons, we see a short scene showing robots working at a fast-food restaurant.

Today, we are seeing a rise in artificial intelligence. AI already answers questions, creates art, and writes content. Robots are developed by big tech companies such as Tesla, Google, and Amazon. If AI takes over more human jobs, especially in customer service or factories, The Simpsons might once again be proven right.

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3. Virtual reality becomes daily life

In Season 28, Episode 2, “Friends and Family,” the show displays people walking through life with VR headsets, completely disconnected from the real world. In another episode, “Days of Future Future” (Season 25, Episode 18), people live in a future where technology and virtual life dominate everything.

Now, with Meta (Facebook’s parent company) investing billions in virtual reality platforms like the Metaverse, people are already attending meetings, playing games, and even building homes in VR. If this trend continues, and people spend most of their lives in virtual worlds, The Simpsons' prediction might come true.

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4. Mind control through ads or devices

In “How to Get Ahead in Dead-Vertising” (Season 20, Episode 4), strange commercials are shown that hypnotize viewers to act in a certain way. Another old episode, “New Kids on the Blecch” (Season 12, Episode 14), shows a boy band using subliminal messages in music to brainwash people into joining the military.

This may sound silly, but even today, advertising has become very targeted and manipulative. With smart devices listening to conversations and AI analyzing personal data, companies now know how to control buying behavior. If tech gets smarter and starts using subtle mind-control techniques, we may be stepping into the show's territory.

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5. Colonization of Mars

In Season 27, Episode 16, “The Marge-ian Chronicles,” Lisa and Marge try to become the first humans to live on Mars. The episode of The Simpsons shows Mars colonization as a public project, and the space journey is commercial, like a private company doing it instead of NASA.

Right now, Elon Musk’s company SpaceX is working on this plan. They want to send humans to Mars by the 2030s. If SpaceX or another private company sets up even a basic camp on Mars, The Simpsons' prediction would come true in the most real and exciting way.

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6. A holographic mailbox system

In Season 23, Episode 22 of The Simpsons, there’s a scene where a futuristic element, a "message pod," shows up to deliver messages. It’s a glowing image that appears and lets people interact with messages in a 3D space.

This sounds like science fiction, but holograms have already entered our world. In concerts, people have seen holograms of Michael Jackson and Tupac perform. Companies like Microsoft are working on “holoportation” and AR glasses. If we soon see holograms in everyday use, like in offices or homes for messaging, then The Simpsons will again look prophetic.

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7. The collapse of Society

In many later episodes of The Simpsons, the jokes include scenes of riots, unstable government, or corrupt leaders remaining in power forever. Some countries today are experiencing political instability, fake media, and civil unrest. The world has seen a deepening division in the way that elections are conducted.

If a major democratic country ever experiences a full government or civil society breakdown, it would match The Simpsons’ darkest but most important prediction.

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Why these predictions matter

It may be a cartoon, but The Simpsons has taught us that stories can be sharper than reality. The show has made many predictions that have come true, including smartwatches and autocorrect. FaceTime and major political events are also examples. But what makes the show even more surprising is how many future predictions it still holds.

From a female U.S. president to living on Mars, from AI replacing workers to holograms delivering messages, the show might not just be a comedy show. It may be holding a mirror to the future.

Now it seems that instead of laughing off these Simpsons episodes, maybe we should pay attention. Because if The Simpsons is right, the future may be closer than we think.