The term AI movies strikes fear and uncertainty into many industry professionals. We’ve seen AI used in many ways. Digital de-aging has become more popular and accessible, and it has even been reported that some of Hollywood’s top screenwriters are tinkering with artificial intelligence in the early stages of a screenplay.
The truth is, AI is being used extensively throughout the film industry to enhance creativity, increase efficiency, and cut costs in every stage of filmmaking. However, the worries extend far beyond Hollywood. Much of the world is dubious and frightened by AI’s rapid growth and increasing capabilities. Long before this became a concern for the general public, a handful of innovative films explored the matter. So, here’s our pick of 5 AI movies that saw the tech future coming. Some got it eerily right, while others may have offered us a warning as to what’s to come next.
5. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
In 1968, Stanley Kubrick‘s 2001: A Space Odyssey felt a little too far-fetched to some. Although it was critically lauded, and has since become regarded as a classic, it’s high-tech elements were at the time unfathomable. However, it got a lot of things right. Today, 153.5 million people are estimated to be using voice assistants, with Siri alone reaching 86.5 million users in 2025. In Kubrick’s masterpiece, we got an early look at what’s to come as the sweeping sci-fi epic featured tablets, video calling, and interactive AI like Siri or Alexa decades before they existed. The fictional system was called HAL, and had the ability to both express and read human emotion, something that has been achieved and surpassed today.
4. WarGames (1983)
Few AI movies have been as dead-on as the 1983 cyber thriller WarGames, directed by John Badham. While it was uplifted from its haunting themes by subtle comedy and its centring on a teenage character, this film got a lot of people talking about the dangers of artificial intelligence. The plot follows boisterous geek David (Matthew Broderick), who discovers a back door into a military central computer in which reality is confused with game-playing, likening the ability to start World War III.
So, what did this 80s crowd pleaser predict? Military AI making autonomous decisions, computers simulating war scenarios, and conversational AI interfaces. David’s textual exchanges with the WOPR computer system closely resembled contemporary engagements with chatbots such as ChatGPT and Bing Chat. WarGames depicted AI as flexible and capable of learning from its experiences, changing its fundamental tactics – all ideas seen in contemporary machine learning.
3. The Terminator (1984)
When it comes to AI movies, James Cameron‘s classic The Terminator, and it’s iconic follow up Terminator 2: Judgement Day could be the films that really got people thinking seriously about what could be possible in the future. Underneath the dazzling action, there’s a complex story about what might happen if machines become too intelligent, or potentially even worse, self aware. In the future timeline of the movie’s universe, that’s exactly what started the war of man vs machine.
Cameron’s films serve as both action-packed sci-fi spectacles and cautions about letting technology get out of hand. The main message being that once our militaries begin using artificial intelligence, we could all be put in extreme danger. According to Keymakr, militaries do use drones, robots, and AI to fight in some capacity. We just have to hope they never become sentient and turn on us, or James Cameron will be dishing out I told you so’s.
2. Minority Report (2002)
In 2002, the backdrop to Steven Spielberg‘s Minority Report felt terrifying but a little out of reach: facial recognition everywhere, personalized ads that follow you, predictive policing, gesture-based interfaces. Today, this is the new norm – just over two decades later, showcasing how fast AI is evolving. Much like The Terminator, Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated sci-fi thriller explores the potential downsides of artificial intelligence.
The film follows Chief John Anderton (Tom Cruise), a policeman in the PreCrime department which stop crimes before they take place, with the help of three ‘PreCogs’ who can foresee crimes. However, his world is turned upside down when he flags as a future murderer. Now on the run, he must track down the people he believes framed him. While there is an element of psychic power in this, it’s relevant in today’s disturbing world of Deep Fakes where people have used the software with criminal intent. But what the film really nails is the use of facial recognition to govern societies. We’re seeing it more and with governments leaning towards digital ID cards, like the United Kingdom and China.
1. Her (2013)
Think of a wacky filmmaker and Spike Jonze probably springs to mind first. In 2013, he released Her, the tale of Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), a lonely writer who falls in love with Samantha, an AI operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Perhaps seen as his wackiest film to date, today it’s lost its shock value. There are hundreds of reports of people confessing their love to AI, literally. We’re talking about men and women who married AI chatbots, and people who have committed adultery with them. With AI chatbots like Replika, some users have even claimed to experience genuine heartbreak when features were removed.
Theodore’s nonchalant interactions with his phone, like asking it to check emails and play music for him, eerily mirror exactly how so many of us now use Siri and Alexa today. Set in 2025, the film captured a future we’re currently living, where people turn to chatbots as therapists and companions. Bizarrely, Jonze even predicted the return of foldable phones, which have re-emerged with devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold.
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