Inflation in the early universe causes it to appear flat on observable scales, akin to a curved balloon expanding to seem flat, masking the global curvature of the universe.
Inflation predicts that the overall geometry of the observable universe should appear flat due to its enormous rate of expansion early in its history.
The analogy of a curved balloon growing so large that it looks flat to a local observer illustrates how inflation can mask the curvature of the universe on observable scales.
Just like an ant walking on the US Capitol dome would perceive it to be flat due to its vast size, inflationary expansion hides any global curvature of the universe.
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