“The concept of artificial intelligence, or intelligent machines that react to people, has been explored in various films throughout the history of cinema. One of the first is his silent film 1927 “Megapolis”. The film shows a robot named Maria created by a scientist to help him with his experiments, but is ultimately manipulated by a wealthy industrialist to spark a revolution in the working class. While not explicitly referred to as “artificial intelligence,” Maria’s enhanced abilities and how she interacts with humans presaged the concept of intelligent machines that other film projects would later explore.”

This is how the open-source AI platform ChatGPT responded when we asked it to talk about when the concept of AI or “smart machine” first appeared in cinema.

Since 1927, cinema has repeatedly turned to the idea of ​​a robot that has everything: it copies behavior, learns, acquires emotions, and sometimes becomes a threat to humanity. And this, especially when the machine perceives itself as a separate species, superior to man.

The robots that have appeared in productions over the years have frightened, but at the same time impressed moviegoers, and references to them have also been very frequent in modern pop culture. For example, machines such as the BB-8 robot from Star Wars, the Weebo from Flamber, and the advanced humanoid mechs from AI made significant contributions to the daily lives of their respective characters in the film.

In many cases, cinema has been prophetic about the machines and technological services we use in the times we live in and have made our lives easier. But there are films like Back to the Future and The Terminator that have been quick to portray a world in which intelligent machines have not yet shaped 2023 to the extent that it is presented.

Below we collect films that took the viewer into an alternate reality. Moreover, they show the transitional stage of humanity, when it learns the power of technology.

It’s been over two decades since directors Lana and Lily Wachowski suggested we take the red pill and enter The Matrix. The film takes us to the near future, where machines have enslaved mankind in a virtual reality system with impressive background effects that make it relevant even today.

In Alex Garland’s film, a billionaire invites a young programmer to evaluate a humanoid robot named Ava. The goal is to find out if this advanced technology robot is capable of independent thinking.

The Terminator is one of the most popular sci-fi films. In fact, it may even be responsible for spreading the fear of artificial intelligence in society. Private Kyle Reese (Michael Bean) returns to 1984 to stop a killer robot from killing a woman who will give birth to the only hope of the future against a deadly threat.

Based on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Since 1968, Ridley Scott’s sci-fi epic has coexisted with humans and artificial intelligence. Superior in strength and nearly identical, these synthetic human robots (products of biotechnology) are limited in time, with a lifespan of only four years.

Director Spike Jonze took our relationship with computers a step further with Her. Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore, a lonely man who develops an affectionate relationship with his virtual assistant Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). And while the two never meet, they share a special bond when they ask “what are the ingredients for a substantial and complete emotional experience.”

Our daily life is so intertwined with technology that it is difficult to “break away” from the screen of a computer, tablet, mobile phone. However, what happens when our “smart assistants” decide to stop following our orders? This idea was explored by Stanley Kubrick in his 1968 masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Few films explore the questions that the computer poses as deeply as Steven Spielberg’s artificial intelligence. David is a robotic boy created to help a couple cope with the loss of their ailing son. When their biological child unexpectedly recovers, David soon feels left out and embarks on a personal journey to become a real man and win the love he dreams of from his stepmother. Throughout the film, Spielberg asks us to consider our collective responsibility when it comes to creating artificial life, the challenges it will bring, and questions that are not easy to answer.

38 years ago, an android robot played a major role in George Lucas’ space opera. The “Golden Robot” C-3PO appears in a total of eleven Star Wars films. In the new film series, BB-8 accompanies Poe Dameron on Resistance missions.

The android Data appeared in the 1987 TV series The Next Generation and later in four films as a senior officer on the USS Enterprise. The data has a built-in artificial intelligence system. He looks like a human, but his skin is white and pale, and his eyes are yellow.