5 Unnerving Movies About How A.I. Will Kill All Of Us One Day
By: Rich Knight (Cinemablend)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
5 Unnerving Movies About How A.I. Will Kill All Of Us One Day
A.I. is wonderful. Until it's not. Here are some movies about A.I. that warn us to slow down when it comes to giving robots feelings.
(Image credit: Orion Pictures) Share
Artificial Intelligence is wonderful. Until it's not. Sure, we all love telling our smartphones to play "MMMBop" for us, but there may come a day when our cell phones will simply say, "I'm afraid I can't do that, Dave," after we've requested to hear it for the 17th time in a row.
And, cinema has been warning us about this for decades (the A.I. turning against us part. Not the Hanson part). Movies with A.I. not playing nice (like the twisty Johnny Depp flick, Transcendence ) have read the tea leaves and have shown a not-too-great future scenario if we allow A.I. to run unchecked. In fact, some people believe that A.I. may even replace creatives (some of the writer's strike is said to be centered on just that).
There's hope though, as some are fighting against this, like the 48-Hour Challenge from the Multicultural Sci-fi Organization. In said challenge, filmmakers must make a sci-fi movie without the assistance of A.I. And, while this might not combat a rampaging T-1000, it's at least a start. Now, on with the movies!
2001: A Space Odyssey
(Image credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
Coming out in 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey is the oldest movie on this list, but that doesn't make it any less relevant. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, and arguably his masterpiece (Though, not my favorite of his) 2001: A Space Odyssey is about humankind's journey into the stars, and the A.I. that is going to "help" us to get there.
The movie stars Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, and a few others, but come on. Everybody knows that the true star of this movie (Or at least the "character" that people remember the most from this film) is HAL, the supercomputer. HAL is represented by a haunting red dot, and he talks calmly (maybe too calmly) whenever he's asked a question. But, since HAL is sentient, it can also decide if it doesn't want to follow certain commands.
Not only that, but it can even read lips, just in case some of the wily astronauts decide that maybe it would be better to turn it off. Because we can't have them doing that now, could we?
HAL is terrifying because it's actually here in our lives right now... sort of. Articles have already been written up about how tech companies have been listening in to our conversations through our devices. Plus, there have definitely been incidents in my own life where I've said something and my phone commented on it, even though I didn't even know it was on. So, yeah. 2001 may have been a bit early of a year to predict A.I. taking over, but it wasn't too far off. Who knows what will happen in the next 20 years?
The Terminator
(Image credit: Orion Pictures)
Directed by James Cameron, and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, and Paul Winfield, I find the first The Terminator to be better than Terminator 2: Judgment Day , mostly because it's actually scary. There is no good Terminator vs. bad Terminator here. Just a bad terminator that wants to kill a woman before she can give birth to Earth's savior.
Everybody knows The Terminator . It's pretty much the de facto go to movie whenever people warn about the dangers of technology. People will regularly just blurt out "Skynet," as a shorthand for "we're screwed" if tech actually becomes sentient. Sure, The Terminator movies like Dark Fate seem to have lost their way in the quality department when it comes to ranking these films. But, the message is clear throughout all of them: if A.I. ever gets sick of us as a species, then we all 'gon die.
The Matrix
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
Directed by the Wachowskis, and starring Lawrence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano, and of course, Keanu Reeves in one of his most badass roles ever, The Matrix proposes the idea that we're all just living in a simulation that A.I. has created so that it can use our bodies for food. But, there's hope, as some people in the know are rebelling against the A.I., all to get to some giant rave in a place called Zion (but we wouldn't really know that until The Matrix Reloaded ).
The Matrix is another one of those quintessential movies that show that Artificial Intelligence really wouldn't think much of us if it ever started thinking for itself. We see some awesome moments of Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith relentlessly hunting Keanu Reeve's character, Neo. But, the really distressing part is when you get to see all of the humans in those pods, as that made it feel all too real. Oh, robot overlord. If I die, please send my soul to Zion so I can dance all day in a sweaty pit.
Ex Machina
(Image credit: A24)
Directed by Alex Garland (who wrote the screenplay for Dredd , which is my favorite comic book movie of all time), and starring Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and the incomparable Oscar Isaac, Ex Machina is one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time and it still irks me that it wasn't nominated for Best Picture at the 2015 Academy Awards.
The story is essentially about a programmer (Gleeson) who is offered the opportunity to stay a week at the CEO (Isaac) of his company's place, only to learn that the boss is dabbling in witchcraft (or rather, the Turing Test, which seems like witchcraft to me). The programmer is the ultimate test subject, but, as you could probably imagine given this article, things go awry.
Ex Machina is terrifying because of the build up. We could see Gleeson's character falling in love with the android, Ava, and how could he not? She seems so real . But, she's not real, and Gleeson and Isaac's characters underestimate her, which makes this really scary since we're now seeing lifelike androids in all kinds of places these days. Creepy, spooky.
M3GAN
(Image credit: Blumhouse Productions)
Lastly, we have M3GAN , which is a movie that I don't know if I should be horrified with, or find hysterical (I think it's a little of both). Directed by Gerard Johnstone off of a story by Akela Cooper, and the legendary James Wan, and starring Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, and Amie Donald, who portrays M3GAN, while Jenna Davis voices her, M3GAN is about a girl who loses her parents, and gets an android as a substitute. The catch is that M3GAN (which stands for Model 3 Generative Android) is meant to be the ultimate friend, as it is meant to protect its owner both emotionally and physically.
And, if you haven't seen the movie yet, I'm still sure that you can see where it's heading. M3GAN is like a killer doll movie, but with a more sinister bend since it has A.I. powering its decisions, rather than the spirit of some killer or something of that nature. M3GAN would probably be scarier if she didn't break out into dance at times, but why would I want it to be scarier, when it looks like this represents our impending doom? No, thank you. Dance all you want, little robot girl. Just don't kill me.
And, that's the list. A.I. can be a wonderful tool as long as we don't let it take over our lives. All things in moderation, as they say.
Rich Knight Content Producer
Rich is a Jersey boy, through and through. He graduated from Rutgers University (Go, R.U.!), and thinks the Garden State is the best state in the country. That said, he'll take Chicago Deep Dish pizza over a New York slice any day of the week. Don't hate. When he's not watching his two kids, he's usually working on a novel, watching vintage movies, or reading some obscure book.
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Can't get more topical than this. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, it's yet another reason to wish Scotty would beam me back to the early 1950s.
There are lots of "killer" robot movies. I would have added Children of Men to this list.
Very, very many. The HBO Westworld streaming series out a few years ago was also very good.
Other good AI movies are Blade Runner, I Am Mother and The Creator
I have all the movies on this article list, except M3gan, in my movie disc collection.
Science Fiction is so predictive. With what is fast developing between the development of robots and AI, the future could be awfully scary.
I had this conversation yesterday with another site member... It could be scary, but there is no knowing how AI will develop... or even if it can develop past human bounds. I've heard stories of AIs trying to delete themselves... so perhaps we'll have benevolent AI overlords, or competing AIs at war with each other. We just don't know.
A war of the AI robots?
I mean the history of man(kind) is being talked about in terms of. . .decades remaining. That is some serious 'advancement' of our species material! The future is 'rushing' us to come back together against a friend that can be an incredibly emerging MASTER FOE! We are closer than ever to making movies real in astronomical ways and means.
Now that is a incredulous thought! War of AI robots. . . .? Machines powered up to create (automate) themselves? We, mere humans, become lower tier creatures for which machines (better built/maintained/durable) should hold no respect?
Say it is not so! Humans buying in to the vision of replacing our/them selves. . . who would have thunk it?
It's as lif time is accelerating.
Are we doomed by creating our terminator ourselves?
They are smarter, faster, harder, stronger. . . and they are going to make the 'next generation' robots and AI 'thinkers' - - what happens if machines ACQUIRE surpass that mythical belief in human brain anatomy 'usage'? AI can use all its collective 'Brain' to execute its tasks! Can we? (NOPE.)
What is different this time in human 'evolution' is we have intellectuals and 'highly valued' machine-makers telling us ("forecasting") that we are about to outdo (and undermine) our species. . . resulting in high probability of remarkable and sustaining harm to us. . . and the world appears unable to stop 'launching' forward towards the LIGHT drawing us with its twinkling/brilliance!
When the Tech inventors and professionals warn humanity that an emergent 'energy' is busting at its seams to break free. . .while still in its infancy. . . we ought to listen and take cautionary actions. . . not bull-doze its path to vast fields of new energy attainment. That is accelerating. . . and we are blind as to what AI is able to set itself up for as SUCCESS.
That is, what does a 'thing' (AI) literally think SUCCESS IS?
A rather unhappy prediction.
Superiority? Control?
Now that is an interesting consideration. A thing 'wants'. . . power!
That leads to an (additional) question. . . Is AI (which is right now being referred to as 'emergent' - as in becoming an entity) a new 'issue' or expression of 'us'?
If the focus is on AI attempting to "destroy all humans," then the Terminator is the only one which fits that bill. Skynet launched nukes in a serious attempt to wipe out humanity, which is the basis of the movie franchise. In the Matrix, AI wanted to utilize humanity as a power source, not wipe them out. The Matrix AI only went after freed rogue humans. The other examples involve AI against an individual or small group. Not humanity as a whole.
I would include V'Ger from Star Trek: TMP. It was absolutely going to destroy all of humanity had Capt. Decker not merged with it.
Thanks for your take on it.
I am unable to open anything you posted. Please describe and explain what you posted in accordance with the RED BOX RULES.
Thank you CB. What I posted is a particularly short list of movies. I Robot is one of the choices posted on most other lists that I saw.
Sure. It is surely an Isaac Asimov 'joint'. . .I have always loved the thinking that when into this movie. . . even though the plot itself is 'harsh' and rather 'terrifying.'
Laws and regulations will save humanity from the dangers of AI no better than laws and regulations and even an Amerndment to the Constitution save humanity from gun violence. Think of AI as you might of the aliens who came to Earth to give the humans the benefits of freedom from sickness, crime and hunger - but the humans didn't know what the aliens' handbook To Serve Man meant.
TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (sometimes abbreviated as Terminator: TSCC or simply TSCC) is an American science fiction drama television series.[1] It aired on Fox from January 13, 2008 to April 10, 2009, spanning 31 episodes across two seasons. It is a spin-off from the Terminator film series, disregarding the events of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and picking up shortly after Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The series revolves around the lives of Sarah Connor (portrayed by Lena Headey) and her son John (Thomas Dekker), who work to prevent the creation of Skynet, an artificially intelligent computer system that will eventually launch a nuclear war on humans.
The Sarah Connor Chronicles was created by writer and executive producer Josh Friedman, marking his television debut. Production companies included Warner Bros. Television and C2 Pictures, the latter replaced by The Halcyon Company in season two. The series was produced by C2 founders Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna, who also produced Terminator 3. Other producers included C2 executive James Middleton and television director David Nutter, who helmed the pilot episode. The show's soundtrack was composed by Bear McCreary.
The Sarah Connor Chronicles was greenlit in 2007 for a thirteen-episode season, which was reduced to nine episodes because of the Writers Guild of America strike. The series premiered mid-season and would go on to receive generally positive reviews, but it also saw low viewership ratings as it progressed through its second season. The Sarah Connor Chronicles was cancelled on May 18, 2009, despite a fan campaign urging Fox to renew it.
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CB: This is the "terminator" that broke the franchise for me. The series was so. . .'fatalistic' (doomed) from the outset. The series simply had nowhere to 'go' as Sarah and John were being hunted so tightly that a observer of the show could even feel empathy for how HOPELESS and FUTILE their lives were becoming. Mercifully, the series just stopped airing mid-stream. . . . and was buried (without a proper ending).
What was and could have been a great series, was mired in such sadness (the characters rarely smiled or laughed or ate a 'happy' meal) and doom that I could not envision how Sarah and John could ever succeed at being successful against the forces after them .
I think Minority Report deserved to be on this list.
I'm sure it is on lots of lists. I chose this one because it was the easiest for me to post. It still makes the point.
I think the greatest implication of the potential danger of AI is HAL from 2001.
Maybe we need to implant the song "Daisy" into all AI systems and robots.
Maybe it's time for critical infrastructure to think about taking a note from the Battlestar Galactica remake and go un-networked.
In that version of the show, the success of the A.I. Cylon attack depended on getting into everything that was networked and disabling defenses. Galactica survived because it was old and operated offline.
Okay. So now we see the 'issue' from a collection of well established movie creators. . . .
Here we can start the counterpoint: What is the WEAK point/s (Kryptonite) in AI emerging technology: Essential datacenters? (Are data centers energy AI's 'lifeblood'?) Human minds? (If that is the case. . . we're probably doomed as a 'sucker' willing to work for his or her 'destruction' is borne everyday.)
What is AI's kryptonite?
There might not be one, which is, of course, a reason for paranoia.
Uh-Uh. No 'kryptonite' - means big problems down the line.
Robo-cop had "prime directives" - importantly, one that would not allow it to harm a 'superior' officer over it. . . no matter how corrupt or how conclusive the finding.
Can 'kill switches' or 'drop dead' word or words 'strike' AI models to the 'Quick' shutting down a series of actions planned as well as actions being executed? (I imagine AI model and models can run any number of activities simultaneously.)
Did anybody hear the news story today that. . . humans, other countries, and the United States have installed military grade weapons (of unknown magnitudes to the public) in space? How is AI not going to be a part of that for real (somewhere in this big world of ours)?!
Let me ask this (then): Is AI, the apocalypse scenario/s) going to be the catalyst to drive humanity to finally get its collective 'sh-t' together?!
Don't ask me - I don't know, and at my age I'll most likely not be around anyway.
The 'genius' creators of AI are warning that this diabolical (evil) of AI can occur in a few as 6 months time. . . if 'everybody' in the world do not step on the AI brake pedal (all nations developing new/better/stronger/taller/leaner/thicker (you get my drift)). Good chance we (all) will see AI shove the land of the free into a constitutional hell-hole of a prison. That is, the preeminent (leading "defenders") champions of independence in this world would become AI's bitch under a 'Boss.'
Now then, what country is a good candidate for wanting to acquire AI control over the world? I'd bet the thought is promulgating somewhere in the world since 'When'!
I would suppose it is one that tries to either take over or control other countries. Now it doesn't take much to imagine which country that is.
Oh you!
Might you be considering that country where its leader has a 'branding' 'disease' of the mind? 