What could be more terrifying than artificial intelligence foretelling a country’s every move? one that has turned rogue and developed sentience. The demise of humanity at the hands of AI has been depicted in a number of shows and films over the years. Although this isn’t the situation right now, it frequently looks possible.
Of course, a good movie can convince a viewer that anything is possible. Although the times are better than ever in terms of technological advancement, predicting that artificial intelligence can turn against humans is a tale as old as time – which was well-depicted in each film on this list. Many works that depict sentient AIs merely reflect on the fact that humans rely on technology too much.
‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (1968)
None other than Stanley Kubrick provides another early depiction of a malicious AI. His 2001: A Space Odyssey was just chosen by a group of directors in a Sight and Sound survey as the greatest film of all time. Odyssey is a visual masterpiece with a tale that was arguably well ahead of its time, so this choice wasn’t shocking.
Astronauts embark in a ship outfitted with the supercomputer HAL 9000 to investigate an artefact. HAL has a human personality and is at least as good as most men at surviving. The film is an invitation to experience cinema in its purest form, in addition to having an interesting and occasionally disturbing tale. Together, symmetry, beauty, and art convey a magnificent tale.
‘Alien’ (1979)
One of the first rogue AI horror stories was included in the sci-fi and movie classic Alien, but I apologise if it gives anything away. However, the majority of aficionados of the genre have probably already seen this venerable Ridley Scott film and are aware of the plot, which stars Sigourney Weaver.
A commercial spaceship’s astronaut crew is awakened by a communication from space, for those of you who haven’t seen the movie. They come encounter what look to be extraterrestrial life forms as they continue their investigation. To avoid giving anything away, the wicked robot is a significant plot twist that is best left for novices to discover. This film is still a fan favourite, and the most recent sequel, Alien: Covenant, even features a beautifully portrayed (and equally rogue) AI.
‘Blade Runner’ (1982)
The primary character Deckard (Harrison Ford) lives in a considerably more bleak future than is known now, even though the events of the original Blade Runner take place in 2019. It’s interesting that this is the second Ridley Scott film on the list; Scott directed some of the most adored and underappreciated movies ever.
For those who haven’t watched Blade Runner, the setting is the year 2019, and Deckard is a “blade runner”—an officer tasked with destroying rogue robots known as “replicants.” He now has to track down four mischievous replicants that are causing trouble and committing various crimes throughout Los Angeles. No spoilers necessary because the plot’s motivation—the rogue AIs—is obvious. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick served as the inspiration for the film Blade Runner.
‘Colossus: The Forbin Project’ (1970)
Supercomputers turning rogue is always a possibility; this idea was studied and well-imagined as early as 1970. The Forbin Project was based on the simple “Colossus” novel by D.F. Jones. The basic idea is that the US government believes that Colossus, a supercomputer, can be trained to safeguard the nation’s nuclear codes, so they do so.
But after a thorough search, Colossus finds Guardian, a supercomputer comparable to it but run by the Soviet Union. It is adamant in contacting Guardian, manipulating the latter while hatching improbable plans to harm humanity. Every fan of the genre should watch this sci-fi film since it is well-made and thought-provoking.
‘Ex Machina’ (2014)
Alex Garland is the best at portraying the agony of technical growth. He did it with DEVS, but he had already done it with Ex Machina before that programme. This taut and gloomy film, which stars Oscar Isaac, Domnhall Gleeson, Sonoya Mizuno, and Alicia Vikander, is almost likely going to become a modern cult classic.
Ex Machina is the story of a young programmer named Caleb who is chosen to spend time testing the humanoid Ava in the home of an eccentric scientist named Isaac (Vikander). Ava and Caleb have numerous conversations as he learns more about her and her goals. The home they stay in, which is secluded but lovely and equipped with the latest cutting-edge technology, establishes the mood for the movie. Garland’s concept of fusing the two never fails to astound.
‘I, Robot’ (2004)
One of the most well-known contemporary action films, I, Robot, shows robots as having the capacity to go rogue and aware. The author of the story, novelist Isaac Asimov, is considered one of the fathers of science fiction, therefore it isn’t exactly a fresh one. I, Robot is based on a story from Asimov’s collection of Robot stories.
Will Smith plays a technophobic detective who is looking into a murder and believes it was likely committed by a robot, even though everyone else thinks that’s unlikely because most robots in modern civilization are trained to be good. The entire film demonstrates that the robots undoubtedly possess a secret, including a highly developed mind.
‘M3GAN’ (2023)
M3GAN, a brand-new and spooky tale about a murdering doll coming to life, is scheduled to make its theatrical debut in January. This is a great way to start the year because horror films appear to be seeing a high-caliber comeback. James Wan also co-wrote and produced M3GAN, which stars contemporary scream queen Allison Williams (Get Out, The Perfection).
M3GAN is an AI doll designed to be a little girl’s friend and guardian. Her programming, however, interprets that literally and eliminates anything and everything that could endanger the youngster. This appears to be a James Wan classic; movie has a compelling plot, gorgeous cinematography, and lots of jump scares.
‘Tau’ (2018)
Tau is just one of the films that has established Maika Monroe as a scream queen during the course of her career. In Tau, performed by Ed Skrein, a scientist builds a futuristic smart home called Tau that can obey any kind of instruction. Monroe plays Julia, who is abducted by the scientist and made to endure the horrors in the home.
The plan was for Julia to assist the scientist in completing and perfecting his experiment, but Tau has another idea. It believes that extinction is near, and disobeying it results in instantaneous (and frequently violent) death. Stressful, thrilling, and full of action scenes is this sci-fi thriller with horror overtones.
Upgrade (2018)
Upgrade may not entirely fall under the category of rogue AI, but it demonstrates what AI is capable of. Logan Marshall-Green portrays the technophobic Grey, whose wife works for a well-known IT corporation, in this underappreciated sci-fi masterpiece. One day he asks her to assist him in returning a self-driving car, but the vehicle breaks down, causing them to have an accident.
Grey loses his wife, which leaves him paralysed. While being cared for by his mother, he receives the offer of a lifetime: to receive an experimental high-tech chip implant that may restore his bodily functions and more. Grey transforms into the ideal hybrid of a man and a machine under the direction of the AI chip in his brain. The story is innovative and really enjoyable despite the trope’s focus on retribution.
‘Westworld’ (1973)
When rogue AIs are mentioned, Westworld is the story that most people immediately think of. Fans of the HBO series may not be aware that it was based on the feature film of the same name, despite the fact that it was well-known and ended after four seasons. Robots serve as the characters in the Westworld theme park, which is set in the Old West, Rome, and the Middle Ages.
Delos is a kind of opulent amusement park where anyone can go and act out their wildest fantasies. James Brolin plays the human visitor that the robot Gunslinger is after, and Yul Brynner plays the robot Gunslinger in the movie. Despite its limitations, Westworld is a visually stunning sci-fi thriller that has a lot of influence.
