It is a fact that Hollywood and the film industry are fascinated by machines, especially artificial intelligence. countless representations of such technology in movies that are not from today, on the contrary; a long time ago a everyday life surrounded by innovations and governed by robots, flying cars and smart homesMany of these ancient promises have been fulfilled; others are still the preserve of fiction. Even more curious is to observe the preponderance of an apocalyptic theme in which robots and androids overstep their bounds and dominate humanity. As overused as this theme may be, it daily fuels radicals and opponents of AI's technological advancement. To illustrate and serve as a reference for this moment of heated discussion about the limits and potential of AI, we list 20 themed films about Artificial Intelligence next.
Follow along and tell us which ones you know, have seen, and/or consider to be one of the most reliable examples of AI in reality!
Ex Machina: Artificial Instinct (Ex Machina) – 2015
A programmer is invited to test an AI android named Ava. As the story progresses, he learns more about AI and realizes how unpredictable and dangerous it can be, sparking strong distrust and conflict among those involved in the testing.
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The Bicentennial Man (Bicentennial Man) – 1999
Based on the short story by Isaac Asimov, the film tells the story of a robot who, for centuries, seeks to become human, acquiring emotions, while facing discrimination and prejudice from humanity.
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Blade Runner, The Android Hunter (Blade Runner) – 1982
The title is self-explanatory! In a dystopian future, an android hunter must identify and eliminate rogue replicas possessing advanced Artificial Intelligence. These androids are portrayed with such strong human verisimilitude that they are easily mistaken for real people.
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Terminator 2 (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) – 2001
A film franchise with several sequels, clichés, and catchphrases! Among the sequels, the second film became a landmark in science fiction by depicting a war between humanity and machines. A Terminator is sent to protect a young leader of the human resistance and restore humanity's autonomy and omnipresence.
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She (Her) – 2013
A slightly different portrayal of AI: in the romantic drama "Her," a lonely writer falls in love with an operating system with advanced Artificial Intelligence. The film delves into issues such as loneliness, intimacy, and the nature of human relationships.
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I, Robot (I, Robot) – 2004
Another standout film based on Isaac Asimov's short stories. The plot tells of a future where robots are fully integrated into society. But when a crime is committed by a robot, a detective must unravel the mystery, which leads to the discovery of conspiracies and technological flaws. The threat of machine power and intelligence is latent!
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Artificial intelligence (AI Artificial Intelligence) – 2001
Few films have been so literal in their title! The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, is also set in a future where robots are used as companions for humans. And in this context, we follow the journey of a child robot with advanced AI as he seeks to become human.
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Minority Report – The New Law (Minority Report) – 2002
Another Steven Spielberg film! In this plot, set in the future, police units are able to arrest killers before they commit a crime—all thanks to a hybrid artificial intelligence, which proves manipulable when an officer is accused of murder and delves deeper into the investigation.
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2001: A Space Odyssey (2001: A Space Odyssey) – 1968
Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, the plot narrates a space mission manned by humans, where an artificial intelligence called HAL 9000 develops unexpected behaviors, triggering conflicts between humans and machines.
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WALL-E (WALL-E) – 2008
Artificial intelligence represented in animated form! And because it's Disney, it's an optimistic and human representation. In the distant future, Earth is covered in trash and humans have abandoned the planet. It's up to the robot WALL-E to restore hope by bringing life back to the planet.
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Transcendence: The Revolution (Transcendence) – 2014
An AI scientist, after suffering a fatal accident, is revived! His wife decides to transfer his mind to a computer. Needless to say, the experiment has unforeseen consequences and spirals out of control!
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Ghost in the Shell (Ghost in the Shell) – 2017
A soldier with a human brain and a robotic body decides to seek the truth about her past while fighting crime. The film addresses the typical existential questions of artificial intelligence devoid of consciousness and free will.
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The Fifth Element (The Fifth Element) – 1997
A science fiction classic: in a distant (and colorful) future, a taxi driver finds himself on a mission to save the world from a destructive cosmic force. To do so, he enlists the help of Leeloo, a genetically modified human with very special abilities.
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Chappie (Chappie) – 2015
Another film about a dystopian future, where the police use robots to fight crime. Everything is going well until one of these robots is stolen and reprogrammed. It then develops its own consciousness and human sensitivity—put to the test in ethical and moral challenges!
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The Origin (Inception) – 2010
Christopher Nolan's film isn't exactly about Artificial Intelligence. But it explores dream manipulation through advanced technology that allows us to enter, remove, and manipulate dreams, raising questions about reality and perception.
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The Imitation Game (The Imitation Game) – 2014
It tells the true story of mathematician and cryptanalyst Alan Turing, who led a team of experts in deciphering the Enigma code, used by the Nazis for secret communications during World War II. The plot delves into Alan's life, offering an interesting insight into the essence of AI—coding and programming.
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M3GAN (M3GAN) – 2022
More recently, AI was portrayed in the horror (or comedy) film "M3GAN." A robotics engineer at a toy company builds a lifelike doll that begins to take on a life of its own. The result? M3GAN can't be trusted! Run!
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RoboCop (RoboCop) – 1987
A classic of the genre! RoboCop is born after a police officer is fatally injured and forced to adapt to a technological robot shell, acquiring extraordinary abilities that will serve him in fighting criminals. The human essence and the human-machine relationship are cleverly addressed at various moments in the film, which spawned several sequels.
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Artificial Intelligence – Rise of the Machines (AI Rising) – 2018
An astronaut is sent on a space mission with a humanoid robot as her companion. As the journey progresses, an intimate relationship develops between them. The film stands out for portraying the typical issues of robot consciousness from the perspective of a romantic relationship.
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Matrix (The Matrix) – 1999
And of course, it couldn't be left out. One of the classics of science fiction (and which gives its name to our business): Matrix Go). The idea here is that humanity is kept in a simulated reality (represented by programming data) while machines control the real world. A group of rebels, along with the Chosen One Neo, fight to free humanity and expose this omnipresent Artificial Intelligence known as the Matrix.
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So, did you miss any movies?
It's a fact that there are still several other strong representatives of Artificial Intelligence in cinema: from old films to short films and some more recent ones. And we haven't even mentioned series, which have also explored the topic for a while now.
THE humanity's fascination with AI continues with the same intensity in films, exposing ethical concerns, fears, and anxieties in dealing with a technology that so closely resembles us! A bet: just as we are increasingly surprised by the technological advances of AI, we will still see new cinematic representations in the future!
READ ALSO: “The History of Artificial Intelligence”
READ ALSO: “What is the difference between Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning”
