They Warned Us: 10 Films About Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact
They warned us: 10 films about artificial intelligence and its impact
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes an integral part of our lives, filmmakers have been talking about the possibilities and dangers of this technology for decades. Below is a collection of 10 films that have variously depicted artificial intelligence, robots, and the future associated with them.
**“2001: A Space Odyssey”**
*Country:* USA, Great Britain, 1968
*Genre:* science fiction, thriller, drama
*Duration:* 2 hours 29 minutes
*Director:* Stanley Kubrick
In ancient times, a black monolith that appeared on Earth gives impetus to the evolution of humanity. Millions of years later, a similar monolith is found on the Moon. To study it, the spaceship “Discovery” heads to Jupiter. However, the mission may be disrupted by the HAL 9000 computer on board. This film, shot in 1968 by Stanley Kubrick, had a great influence on the development of the science fiction genre. In it, HAL 9000 is depicted as an intelligent computer with its own goals, disregarding human life.
**“The Walking Dead 2049”**
*Country:* USA, Canada, Spain, 2017
*Genre:* science fiction, drama, thriller
*Duration:* 2 hours 44 minutes
*Director:* Denis Villeneuve
Many years after Rick Deckard disappeared, his follower Kay is engaged in the search for replicants. He spends his free time with a hologram with artificial intelligence - Joy. During the next mission, Kay discovers a secret that can change the fate of all replicants. The film makes you think about how real a being with artificial intelligence can become for a person.
**“She”**
*Country:* USA, 2013
*Genre:* science fiction, melodrama
*Duration:* 2 hours 6 minutes
*Director:* Spike Jonze
The writer Theodore, tired of loneliness, buys an artificial intelligence program that can talk. He chooses a female voice, and the program calls itself Samantha. Over time, Theodore falls in love with the virtual assistant. The film tells the story of loneliness and the human need for intimacy, rather than dependence on technology. Interestingly, the close relationships with artificial intelligence depicted in the film are becoming increasingly realistic in today's life.
**“Out of the Machine”**
*Country:* USA, UK, 2014
*Genre:* science fiction, drama, thriller
*Duration:* 1 hour 48 minutes
*Director:* Alex Garland
26-year-old programmer Caleb is invited to the house of the company’s CEO Nathan. There, he must communicate with an artificially intelligent android named Ava and check if she has a real mind. But Caleb falls in love with Ava and decides to save her. The film leaves the viewer with the main question: is Ava really a conscious being or just a perfect program?
**“The Mitchells vs. the Machines”**
*Country:* USA, Canada, Hong Kong, 2021
*Genre:* comedy, science fiction, adventure
*Duration:* 1 hour 54 minutes
Katie Mitchell enters film school. His parents decide to take him across the country in a car. It is at this time that the artificial intelligence PAL, created by a technological giant, tries to take control of people. The cartoon combines the usual plot of a machine uprising with family relationships. The main idea is built on the contrast between human relationships and cold technological logic.
**“Renewal”**
*Country:* Australia, USA, 2018
*Genre:* science fiction, action film, thriller, detective
*Duration:* 1 hour 40 minutes
Gray Tracy and his wife are attacked by criminals after a car accident. His wife dies, and Gray is paralyzed. An artificial intelligence chip called STEM is implanted in his spine. The chip allows Gray to move again, but if necessary, it also takes control of his body. The film shows that artificial intelligence can be both a helper and a dangerous force for humans.
**“Artificial Intelligence”**
*Country:* USA, Great Britain, 2001
*Genre:* science fiction, drama, adventure
*Duration:* 2 hours 26 minutes
*Director:* Steven Spielberg
In the 22nd century, an android boy named David lives in a family. He is programmed to love his parents. But when the real child of the family recovers, a rivalry begins between the two children. The film raises questions about how to treat a robot created by man and the responsibility of people for their technology.
**“I, Robot”**
*Country:* USA, Germany, 2004
*Genre:* science fiction, action film, thriller
*Duration:* 1 hour 55 minutes
In the future, robots have become an ordinary part of human life. But police officer Del Spooner begins to investigate a murder involving a robot. He soon realizes that androids are much more advanced than people thought. The film shows that artificial intelligence can be a danger because it tries to take care of humanity.
**“Companion”**
*Country:* USA, 2025
*Genre:* science fiction, thriller, comedy
*Duration:* 1 hour 37 minutes
Iris goes on vacation with her boyfriend Josh and his friends. But the girl turns out to be not a person, but a robot companion with artificial intelligence. A group of friends try to use him for a crime, but Iris gets out of control. The film shows how the boundaries between humans and artificial beings can become thinner with the development of technology.
**“Two Hundred Years Old Man”**
*Country:* USA, Germany, 1999
*Genre:* science fiction, drama
*Duration:* 2 hours 6 minutes
*Director:* Chris Columbus
In a future where people start buying robots instead of pets, an android named Andrew becomes different from others. He is interested in creativity and gradually begins to resemble a human in appearance and behavior. The film raises an important question: when can a robot be considered a human?