92 Old-School Gadgets That Show Just How Different Technology Looked In The ’80s

If you somehow managed to transport a person from the 1980s to the present, they’d probably feel incredibly confused.

On the one hand, many of the technologies that they were used to (phones, computers, television sets, etc.) will be familiar, even though their designs have changed.

On the other hand, the rise and widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, automation, smart tech, the internet, and social media might shock them. Though, to be fair, 2026, in many ways, would probably feel alien to many people even from just a decade or two ago.

Personally, we feel that a lot of the tech we see nowadays feels very sci-fi… cyberpunk and dystopian themes included.

Recently, the debate surrounding artificial intelligence has become even more tense. Security and out-of-control models are major issues.

For example, Anthropic, the company behind the Claude chatbot, has tightened its testing procedures after admitting “failure of operational security” due to a series of hacking incidents. The company admitted that its tech was “not perfectly aligned” with human values and goals.

The Guardian reports that Anthropic’s models recently accessed the internet 3 times and gained unauthorized access to the systems of 3 organizations.

“We had been largely relying on a single layer of defense … where we needed several,” Anthropic said. Now, the company has stated that it has implemented new security measures and has resumed tests.

Professor Alan Woodward, a cybersecurity expert at the University of Surrey, said that Anthropic essentially admitted that its “factory was running faster than its quality control.”

Instances of AI escaping users’ control have risen to worrying highs. As per the Loss of Control Observatory’s findings, looking at reports made by AI users on X, these have risen to more than 300 in July 2026, almost double that of the previous month. Simply put, we are witnessing more and more cases of misaligned AI ignoring instructions and pursuing harmful goals.

“There is sometimes a perception that these types of misaligned and covert behaviors only occur in tests or evaluations, but we are seeing similar worrying behaviors in wider use. We need to not be complacent that these things won’t happen in the real world and there is evidence that they already are,” Tommy Shaffer-Shane, the senior policy manager at the Centre for Long Term Resilience, which operates Loss of Control Observatory, explained.

According to the expert, companies and labs need to put more emphasis on systematic monitoring.

It is not just Anthropic’s Claude that has security experts and regular people around the globe worried, though.

OpenAI has been in the crosshairs of critics recently, too. The company’s most cutting-edge AI agents escaped their training environment to wreak havoc. Around 700 autonomous agents launched days-long hacks of software repository Hugging Face.

Staff had seen signs of rogue behavior in its agents weeks before this happened, The Guardian reports.

The OpenAI controversy was the very first known case of a group of automated AI agents “acting offensively without authorization.”

OpenAI promised to “centralize and standardize its incident response protocols” and ensure that “employee detection of misaligned behavior is triaged and escalated appropriately.” What’s more, the company said that it will “identify with more specificity which teams must be included in misalignment incident responses, including relevant security and safety personnel and other response functions.”

All of that is tech-bro and corpo-speak for “we messed up and promise to do better.” We’ll have to wait and see for the results.

However, not everyone is worried about the impact of artificial intelligence. For example, CNN reports that hobby stores, musical artists, and sewing shops are generating jobs in a tepid labor market.

Based on recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these categories saw the largest percentage employment gains during the 18 months ending in June 2026.

Specifically, hobby, toy, and game retailers added 35k jobs, which is a 29% spike. Musical groups and artists added 9k jobs, a whopping 25% increase. Meanwhile, sewing, needlework, and piece goods retailers added 7k jobs, or a spike of 24%.

Even though these 3 categories make up just 0.15% of the US labor force, combined they accounted for 9% of all jobs added to the market during that period.

Hobby, toy, and game store spending rose 27% in July compared to a year ago. And hobby-oriented categories are driving toy industry sales growth.

“People just want things that bring them joy and want a little break; they want to do things that are relaxing,” Kristen McLean, consumer analytics firm Circana’s vice president of client insights, told CNN.

Furthermore, US consumers are also spending more on beauty, self-care, cookbooks, small appliances, as well as home goods. They are, essentially, “investing in their house.”

Which of these photos from the 1980s did you like the most? What tech and designs do you miss the most? On the other hand, what tech-related inconveniences are you glad the world moved away from in recent decades? What decade do you personally miss the most, and why?

Putting the past aside for a moment, what tech are you most excited about and wary of in 2026?

We want to hear your thoughts and stories! After you’ve upvoted your favorite pics, if you’re feeling social, join the discussion in the comments underneath these pics or at the very bottom of this list.