World-Renowned 'Futurist' Looks 25 Years Ahead

Oct. 27, 2006 — -- In the year 2031, Americans could be living in a completely different way than they are now, according to futurist and trend forecaster Paul Saffo.

Thinking about the future is "what defines us as a species," Saffo, a Stanford University professor of mechanical engineering, told "Good Morning America Weekend Edition" anchor Bill Weir. "It seems we're more interested in what lies ahead than what's going on today."

Saffo believes we as a society can predict the future with some accuracy.

"I think what's happening is we're getting much better at anticipating what could happen," Saffo said. "The future's everyone's business today."

Saffo credits Hollywood with creating the impression that everything in the future will be white and clean.

"It's fascinating for how long the future was clean and white and bright. It wasn't till the first 'Star Wars' movie that we actually had dirty objects with dust on them," Saffo said. "I think it's a reflection of people's hopes. They want the future to be everything that today is not for them, and that tends to be bright and white and clean and orderly."

Although Saffo also believes we'll have different furniture in the future.

"There'd still be chairs and tables. You won't have anti-gravity cocktail tables, but it will be in the little details, the things that are missing," he said. "The thing that'll be missing in 25 years is the TV screen. Perhaps it'll be a fabric on the wall. Perhaps it'll be something that's painted into place. But big, boxy electronics [will] disappear."

Despite predictions to the contrary, people will not have flying cars, Saffo said.

But "maybe you don't own a car. Maybe there's a car-sharing system where there's cars that just are in the right spot when you need them," he said. "The biggest change in transportation, through, will probably be the recreational space. … People really will have strap-on wings with little rocket engines. I think they'll be nuts to use them."