Minority Report on Arte: The Movie Predictions Are Actually Out Now!

Washington – 2054. For six years there has been no murder thanks to “Pre-Crime”, the police department led by John Anderton. Pre-Crime has a system that allows him to see murders before they happen. But when John finds himself framed for an impending murder, he has just 36 hours to learn the true workings of this system that has decided to hunt him down…

The first of two collaborations between Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg, Minority Report is loosely adapted from the great writer Philip K. from Dick’s story and is undoubtedly one of the best choices. Set in this futuristic world where ancient urban planning meets ultra-high technology, the film offers an unsettling portrayal of determinism and free will in a security-obsessed society.

Does science fiction come true?

Three years before his film began production, Steven Spielberg launched an initiative to invite a number of scientists and other officials in their fields to think about what society would look like in 2054.

“I thought it would be a good idea to bring together leading experts in technology, environment, crime fighting, medicine, health, social services, transport, IT and other fields in one room to discuss what the future will look like in fifty years.” .”

And when we talk about dimensions, this is not an empty word. Panelists included Neil Gershenfeld, professor at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology); Peter Calthorpe, renowned urban designer and architect; Jaron Lanier, who is considered one of the pioneers of virtual reality; Or Harald Belker, an automotive design specialist who worked notably at Porsche.

The intense collective brainstorming that Spielberg would use to feed his film with creativity, some of which became very real. Here are some examples…

One of the most memorable scenes in the film is when Tom Cruise uses the multi-touch interface. Memory sequence below…

In 2010, eight years after the film’s release, John UnderkofflerA user interface designer at MIT’s Media Lab and a consultant on Spielberg’s film, gave an impressive demonstration (in this video) the reality of such technology; Even explaining that wearing gloves like Tom Cruise will soon no longer be necessary.

Autonomous vehicles

Driverless and automated cars you’ve been fantasizing about total recall with self-driving taxis? The reality is there too, since 2010, between the Google car, Tesla brand car tests and, of course, tests from other manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz. But progress must be qualified. The first autonomous cars with “hands-free” driving are coming to Europe from September 2023, but in terms of comfort they are still far from the expected progress. this item. Truly autonomous cars, not limited as they are today, especially for legal reasons, should not appear until 2030. in the best case.

Smart ads

In another famous scene from the film, John Anderton sees his attention drawn and drawn to ads that can personalize their offers based on who is watching them, thanks to a retina scanner and facial recognition process.

Targeted and personalized advertising has been around for a long time on the Internet, especially on social networks like Facebook, which use the data that its members agree (or at least should…) give them for commercial use. Still not as advanced as in Spielberg’s film, there are billboards that adapt their messages, e.g. This experience in the UK Implemented by car manufacturer Renault in 2016.

And facial recognition has made giant leaps and is no longer a fiction. If this process is already implemented in certain models of smartphones, China is the pioneer in this absolutely massive and very disturbing use.

The country holds the world record for the number of surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition technology. This network of intelligent cameras is called heavenly gridIt would be estimated at 700 million… Officially tracking crimes. But above all a ruthless means of tracking the masses. All the way home. Woe to him who tries to escape from it…

If we also recall the grueling scene of the spider-robots trying to scan the suspect’s retina and Tom Cruise tries to avoid it at all costsInsect robots have become a reality. Pollinating robotsIncluding bees is in the testing phase.

Prediction of crime

Perhaps we save the worst and worst for last. In the film, precogs, people endowed with special powers, can predict who, when and where they will commit a murder. Since 2012, the reality has almost matched the fiction: police officers in Los Angeles, but also in Zurich, use a “crime prevention” program.

These ultra-sophisticated programs combine thousands of pieces of information related to crime (locations detected, seasonality, climate effects, addresses of released prisoners, gang tensions) and specifically advise police forces to patrol certain sectors. preventive measure.

In 2017, a startup called Palantir, funded by the CIA, developed a tool to predict crimes before they happen. Originally used to predict bombings in Iraq, Palantir’s technology is now being used to identify potential criminals in the United States. This article from Phonandroid. It’s reassuring, especially since the CIA isn’t on probation when it comes to dirty tricks…