Smartphones are part of most people’s daily lives and Nikola Tesla knew this before his existence. A time when there were no signs of artificial intelligence, but I knew that sooner or later a “world brain” would arrive.
Decades ago, social media, messaging apps like WhatsApp, and even the simple act of calling or sending SMS were just an idea wandering in the minds of some brilliant inventors.
After Antonio Meucci’s contribution with the teletroffone and Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone, over the years, it became common to have this device at home. However, they were fixed, connected by cables or sometimes placed on walls and desks.
Carrying one in your pocket or in a suitcase was not yet possible. At a time when most attention was focused on Thomas Edison, Tesla was a bit underestimated with his ideas and one of his predictions came true in 1983 to impress the world with “his follies.”
Tesla was already thinking about a hyperconnected world through mobile phones
As the years have passed, it has been discovered that Nikola Tesla was definitely ahead of his time and not only because of the contributions he made in life, but also because of the technological predictions he made. were fulfilled decades after his death.
In an interview with Collier’s from 1926verified by modern analysis, it was confirmed that Nikola Tesla was always thinking about the future with an idea of a “giant brain” or “world brain” that would connect people all over the planet thanks to wireless technology.
At that time, telephones had existed for some time, but with many limitations, and the models were “candlestick” type, rotary dial or wall-mounted.
Tesla imagined a further evolution where people could communicate from a device that fits in your pocket of a vest and could be used regardless of distances.
Indeed, his prediction can be said to have come true in 2026, 100 years after he said the following words, according to Lr21.
«When wireless technology is perfectly applied, the entire earth will become one enormous brain, which indeed it is, all things being particles of a real and rhythmic whole. We will be able to communicate with each other instantaneously, regardless of distance. Not only this, but through television and telephony we will see and hear each other as perfectly as if we were face to face, despite distances of thousands of miles; and the instruments by which we will be able to do this will be incredibly simple compared to our current telephone. A man may carry one in his vest pocket.”
In 1926 he made this prediction, but in 1943 he died at the age of 86 and what he had said was still not fulfilled, but that idea continued to be developed by other experts.
The first functional prototype was made in 1973 and was called Martin Cooper, it was not until 10 years later that what Tesla had in his mind finally became a reality. The Motorola DynaTAC 8000X was launched in 1983 and was the first mobile (handheld phone) of history.
Although it didn’t fit in your pocket, you could take it anywhere. Then the Technophone PC105 arrived in 1985, which, with its dimensions, was suitable for easy storage and transport.
The metaphor of the “world brain” is fulfilled with artificial intelligence and other technologies.
Of course, it’s one of the most impressive things about what the greatest minds in history have brought to the table. Everything changed when the smartphone arrivedsomething that consolidated its referring words and until now millions of Android and iOS models are used.
However, the “world brain” metaphor is now linked with the evolution of artificial intelligence, the internet and applications, technologies that expand the capabilities of these devices. At some point, enthusiasts believe it could be linked to the AGI as well.
Be that as it may, the estimates of the ancient genius came from decades of experimentation with alternating current, radio, remote control and that idea of achieving a global system.