From Villains to Heroes: The Evolution of AI in Cinema

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Evolution of AI in Cinema
3. The Villainous AI: "Metropolis"
4. The Peaceful AI: "The Day the Earth Stood Still"
5. The Complex AI: "2001: A Space Odyssey"
6. The AI as Hero: "Star Wars"
7. The AI as Villain: "Westworld"
8. AI in Sci-Fi: "Alien" and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"
9. AI in the '80s: "WarGames," "Tron," and "The Terminator"
10. AI as a Reflection of Humanity: "Blade Runner"
11. AI in Modern Cinema: "Her," "Ex Machina," and More
12. MILO in "Oxygen": A New Kind of AI Character
13. Conclusion

The Evolution of AI in Cinema

Artificial intelligence has been a staple of science fiction for close to a century now, and cinema has been exploring the concept for just as long. From the villainous AI of "Metropolis" to the complex HAL 9000 of "2001: A Space Odyssey," AI characters have evolved from simple, fantastic monsters into nuanced and complex characters that reflect our own humanity.

The Villainous AI: "Metropolis"

The first depiction of an AI character in cinematic history came along in Fritz Lang's "Metropolis," which debuted in 1927. The film was one of the very first sprawling special effect-driven spectacles, centering on workers in a far-future dystopia, where stark class divisions keep workers under the wealthy's thumb. In "Metropolis," an inventor decides to use his new robot to take over the city. In order to do so, he disguises the robot as a young woman named Maria. The artificial Maria sows unrest in the city, convincing citizens to rise up against their masters, commit murder, and destroy the machines used to keep them down. Chaos ensues, and the disillusioned workers ultimately catch the robot and burn her at the stake. In "Metropolis," the artificial Maria is straight-up evil, setting the tone for many of the AI characters to follow in film history.

The Peaceful AI: "The Day the Earth Stood Still"

The next major AI character didn't Show up until 1951, with "The Day the Earth Stood Still." In that movie, an alien visitor named Klaatu shows up on Earth with a silent but powerful robot companion named Gort. However, while Gort is a formidable warrior, he's on a mission of peace. Klaatu and Gort's aim is to convince humans to give up war and join their extra-terrestrial neighbors, who have similarly disavowed violence.

The Complex AI: "2001: A Space Odyssey"

HAL 9000, the computer that runs the Jupiter-bound spacecraft Discovery One in Stanley Kubrick's epic "2001: A Space Odyssey," is a real, fully fleshed-out character who gets angry when his friends betray him, and who fearfully pleads for his life when his time runs out. HAL's unique form of villainy was a watershed moment for the depiction of AI in movies.

The AI as Hero: "Star Wars"

"Star Wars" presented its two main synthetic characters, R2-D2 and C-3PO, as both heroes and comedic foils. These are characters with their own wants and needs and quirky personalities.

The AI as Villain: "Westworld"

"Westworld" depicts the carnage that unfolds at a futuristic theme park when the ultra-lifelike animatronics begin to fight back against the tourists who used the mechanical creatures to satisfy their basest desires.

AI in Sci-Fi: "Alien" and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"

AI characters also played a big role in movies like "Alien" and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" in the same cinematic era. While the films' treatments of AI as good or evil were drastically different during this time, all of these on-screen AIs had one thing in common: They all lived in the future -- or, at the very least, in a galaxy far, far away.

AI in the '80s: "WarGames," "Tron," and "The Terminator"

As computers became a bigger part of day-to-day life, artificial intelligence became an even hotter topic. The '80s saw big-budget thrillers and action movies begin to tackle anxiety regarding the real-life possibilities of artificial intelligence head-on. Suddenly, AI wasn't some far-off threat. It was already a part of society, and that made it even more dangerous.

AI as a Reflection of Humanity: "Blade Runner"

"Blade Runner" was unique for its willingness to really explore the full implications of AIs with personalities and present AI characters that were physically and mentally indistinguishable from human beings. Scott used artificial intelligence as a way to talk about the very essence of what it means to be human.

AI in Modern Cinema: "Her," "Ex Machina," and More

Modern movies have started to adapt to the ubiquity of artificial intelligence. In Spike Jonze's "Her," for example, a man falls in love with his computer's operating system because AI is just a part of everyday life. The military thriller "Outside the Wire" uses an AI supersoldier as a stand-in for a military drone, and the fact that he has a personality and a Sense of purpose is expected, rather than extraordinary.

MILO in "Oxygen": A New Kind of AI Character

MILO in "Oxygen" is part of this latest, modern group of artificial intelligences. He's a character, not a wild plot hook, which is a spot-on reflection of just how infiltrated and accepted AI has become in present-day storytelling.

Conclusion

AI characters have come a long way since the villainous robot of "Metropolis." From the complex HAL 9000 of "2001: A Space Odyssey" to the multidimensional AIs of "Blade Runner" and beyond, AI characters have evolved to reflect our own humanity. MILO in "Oxygen" is just the latest example of how AI has become a part of everyday storytelling.