The science fiction film Aliens accurately foresaw the emergence of autonomous military sentry turrets and wearable tech, according to University of Nottingham researcher Steve Benford.
Speaking as the 1986 movie celebrates its 40th anniversary, Professor Benford said the feature directed by James Cameron correctly anticipated several modern technologies while missing key developments in computer vision and artificial intelligence.
Set in the year 2179, the sequel follows a squad of Colonial Marines who confront extraterrestrial creatures on a distant colony. The fictional setting is 153 years in our future, making it as far removed from the present day as we are from 1873, an era when gas lighting and steam power represented the peak of technology.
Professor Benford pointed out that real-world human technology has already surpassed some of the gadgets featured in the film, particularly in everyday personal devices.
He told the Daily Mail that the prediction Aliens got most accurate is, "sadly," the widespread adoption of automatic guns and robotic weaponry.
Wearable technology and exoskeleton suits
Professor Benford said one of the most impressive aspects of the film is not its large technological set pieces, but the small items individual characters carry. Although personal smartphones are noticeably absent from the 2179 setting, the Colonial Marines rely heavily on wearable devices.
The wristbands worn by the troops feature embedded motion detectors, wearable cameras and biosensors that Professor Benford described as feeling quite current. Small wearable gadgets, including smartwatches and fitness tracking rings, have become standard consumer electronics today.
Many modern smartwatches worn by people today are smaller, smarter and more versatile than the personal equipment shown in the film.
The movie also made a surprising prediction regarding the development of mechanical exoskeletons. During the climax of the film, protagonist Ellen Ripley climbs inside an enormous mechanical suit known as a loader. The humanoid robot mirrors the movements of the operator, greatly enhancing their physical strength and mobility.
Real exoskeletons built on similar principles are now commercially available. Consumers can purchase an Ascentiz H+K modular hip-and-knee exoskeleton for £1,250 ($1,699), designed to boost physical performance or make walking easier.
Professor Benford said: "I think we will see them to help people walk and otherwise assist them."
At the Consumer Electronics Show last year, developers presented a $250,000 exoskeleton called the XoMotion, which uses 12 electric motors to mimic natural human movement and balance. The device was created specifically for disabled individuals who have lost the use of their legs, enabling them to walk forward, step backward, turn to either side and sway their hips.
Although developers believe factory workers could also use the XoMotion to lift heavy boxes without damaging their joints, Professor Benford does not expect Aliens-style loader suits to become common on factory floors. He explained: "Some things are better controlled remotely," adding that autonomous robots are a safer choice for industrial environments to keep humans out of harm's way.
Autonomous weaponry and sentry turrets
The most accurate technological prediction in Aliens involves the deployment of autonomous weaponry. In the movie, the Colonial Marines set up automatic sentry turrets capable of detecting targets, aiming and firing without human intervention.
The outbreak of the war in Ukraine has accelerated the rapid advancement of robotic and fully autonomous weapon systems. Military forces now deploy robotic gun platforms that defend positions or roam frontlines under minimal human supervision.
Some of these systems bear a striking resemblance to the weapons depicted in the movie. The Buria turret, developed by Frontline Robotics, operates as an automated firing platform, while other unmanned platforms include the DevDroid combat system.
Where the sci-fi classic fell short
Despite several accurate forecasts, Aliens missed the mark on multiple major technological developments. Most notably, humanity remains nowhere close to developing interstellar space travel within a human lifetime.
The film also failed to anticipate how rapidly personal computer systems and surveillance technology would evolve. A central device in the film is the hand-held motion tracker, which the Colonial Marines use to track hidden Xenomorph creatures.
James Cameron could not have predicted the rapid growth of computer vision, a field of artificial intelligence where machines are trained to recognize objects. Professor Benford argued: "A network of 'smart cameras' throughout the colony would have been able to track both humans and aliens alike far more effectively."
Similar surveillance systems, including live facial recognition technology, are already deployed on public streets to monitor crowds and watch for suspicious behavior.
The film also featured synthetic humanoid robots, most notably the character Bishop, played by actor Lance Henriksen. Bishop functions as an android who can act autonomously, navigate physical environments, make plans and manipulate objects.
Professor Benford said: "Bishop can act autonomously and physically, making plans, moving through the world, manipulating stuff." He added: "Today's mobile robots may be able to do some of this, but I think they are a long way off operating at human levels of improvisation and often require human support behind the scenes."
However, some of Bishop's capabilities are beginning to appear more achievable. Professor Benford noted: "Bishop clearly has the ability to converse with humans; this seems pretty plausible given today's chatbots. We are getting used to AI that appears to talk to us intelligently."
He added that a major ongoing question is whether artificial intelligence will ever progress to become self-aware and moral. He said: "Whether AI can become self-aware and even moral is a huge question people are asking now, and have been ever since Alan Turing first wrote about AI."
Scientific searches for extraterrestrial life
While Aliens explores fictional extraterrestrial encounters, astronomers have spent decades conducting real-world searches for signals and signs of alien life.
In 1967, British astronomer Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered the first radio pulsar. Pulsars are rapidly rotating, highly magnetized neutron stars, though early observers initially speculated the strong radio emissions might originate from alien civilizations. Astronomers have since detected other types of pulsars emitting X-rays and gamma rays.
In 1977, astronomer Dr Jerry Ehman detected a powerful 72-second radio signal while searching for alien life with a radio telescope in Ohio. The blast came from the direction of Sagittarius and measured 30 times stronger than background radiation, leading Ehman to excitedly write "Wow!" next to his data. The signal matched no known celestial object and fueled claims of intelligent extraterrestrial origins.
In 1996, NASA and the White House announced that an Antarctic meteorite catalogued as Allen Hills (ALH) 84001 contained potential microscopic fossils of Martian life. The rock crashed onto the frozen wastes 13,000 years ago before being recovered in 1984. Photographs showed elongated segmented objects that appeared strikingly lifelike, though scientists later questioned potential contamination and mineral structures created by heat when blasted into space.
Astronomers have also studied KIC 8462852, known as Tabby's Star, located 1,400 light years away. Discovered in 2015, the star dims at a much faster rate than other stars, leading some experts to suggest aliens were harnessing its energy. Recent studies eliminated the alien megastructure possibility, suggesting a ring of dust causes the signal fluctuations.
In February 2017, astronomers announced the discovery of a star system with planets capable of supporting life just 39 light years away. Seven Earth-like planets were found orbiting the nearby dwarf star Trappist-1, all of which could possess surface water. Three of the planets offer conditions where life may have already evolved, with researchers estimating they will know whether life exists within a decade, stating: "This is just the beginning."
