Some things in life are certain - death, taxes and The Simpsons predicting the future.
Created by Matt Groening in 1989, the show has been on our screens for more than three decades, making it the longest-running American sitcom of all time.
From predicting the cost of living crisis in the UK to having Donald Trump as a US president, or even the Covid pandemic, the writers quite clearly know something we don't.
Advert
Just this year, they anticipated the ill-fated Titanic sub imploding, the new Barbie movie and the rebranding of Twitter (X).
For 2024, here are 10 more predictions from the cartoon that are either becoming a reality or could become a reality next year:
1) AI Robots Takeover - Episode 17, Series 23
In this episode, Homer loses his job after boss Mr Burns replaces all employees at the nuclear power plant with robots.
Advert
With the way robots are already working in factories and the advancements of AI, will they continue to take jobs in 2024?
2) Virtual Reality Food - Episode 17, Series 11
Although this sounds pretty impossible, Virtual Reality companies such as AeroBanquets RMX allow users to explore what it would feel like to dine in the digital world.
Advert
In this The Simpsons episode, Homer and Marge are feeding virtual fudge through a straw placed on the back of their virtual reality headsets.
3) Baby Translator - Episode 24, Series 3
In this classic The Simpsons episode, we witness Homer's brother Herb Powell, for second time after his life gets ruined thanks to his half-brother.
Advert
To rectify Homer taking away his business, Herb invents the baby translator, which is exactly what it sounds like.
A company called Zoundream claims to have developed a product that somehow uses AI to determine what babies want when they cry.
You can't write this stuff.
Advert
4) Black Hole - Episode 2, Series 24
Whilst scientists say the closest black hole to Earth is 1560 light years away, The Simpsons have predicted the worst in a Treehouse of Horror episode.
Eventually the black hole sucked out all of Springfield and only Maggie survived.
5) Hover Cars of the Future - Episode 15, Series 16
I feel like we've been waiting for cars that fly for a while now, and in this episode, Bart and Lisa witness what the future looks like for the Simpsons family.
In the future, Homer and Bart travel around the city in their hover cars without any tires, which sounds quite handy to beat the morning traffic..
Now, you best believe that a company named Samson Sky is expected to begin deliveries of its switchblade flying car in 2024.
But questions of what kind of license you would need/if it's even legal need to be answered first, you would have thought.
6) Hologram Technology - Episode 9, Season 34
Holograms have been around for a while now but will they become more common than before?
In one The Simpsons episode, we witness Bart receiving a hologram message inviting his band to a gig at the club.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see on that one.
7) AI Goes Rogue
In one of my favourite episodes from 1994 titled 'Itchy and Scratchy Land', robots seemingly take over the theme park and cause absolute havoc in the process.
With the progression of AI, who knows if robots will be able to self-function without the help of a human.
8) Music-Induced Mind Control
The Simpsons fans might remember when Bart, Nelson, Milhouse, and Ralph formed a boy band.
Producers would send a subliminal message via the lyrics of their music, which would 'control the minds' of the public in the process.
This reportedly happened during WWII when the US used weapon propaganda through cinema channels.
9) World War 3
In 1987, before the release of the mainstream series, The Simpsons aired a special episode on the Tracey Olman Show, which sees Homer repeatedly pranking his family with WWIII scares.
With the introduction of nuclear weapons, world leaders are constantly threatening one another.
We really can't be bothered with WWIII to be honest.
10) Zombie Apocalypse - Episode 4, Series 21
And finally, Krusty the Clown's fast-food sandwich transforms news anchor Kent Brockman into an enraged zombie and twenty-eight days later, cannibal zombies have overrun Springfield.
2024, let's see what happens.
Topics: The Simpsons
Anish Vij