The 25 Best Movies About AI Gone Wrong

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We’re constantly hearing about artificial intelligence in the news, and a lot of the coverage focuses on potential dangers and negative outcomes. However, this isn’t surprising – stories about the downsides of AI have existed since the very beginning of science fiction. From the start, these stories have explored the risks of creating machines that can think like humans – and even surpass our abilities. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is an early example, essentially launching the science fiction genre while also grappling with the possibilities of AI, even if it was in the form of a created being rather than a machine. Similarly, in E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 story “The Sandman,” a character falls in love with a lifelike automaton. Even seemingly positive portrayals of AI, like Isaac Asimov’s robots, require strict rules to function safely.

Movies frequently portray artificial intelligence as a threat, either as intentionally malicious or simply flawed – a trend that goes back to classics like the robot from Metropolis. We focused on AI that genuinely thinks for itself, so robots controlled by humans, like those in films such as Runaway and Chopping Mall, didn’t make the list. It’s hard to blame an operating system when it’s just following orders. We also avoided robots that are simply generic villains made of metal. Once a robot feels more like a bad guy than a computer program – think Mechagodzilla or Megatron – it loses its connection to artificial intelligence and just becomes a mechanical troublemaker.

Despite the many options, these films all show how our ideas about AI are changing, acknowledging both its potential benefits and serious risks. Often, these fictional AIs take on other existing fears – like Cold War anxieties about nuclear weapons or the concerns about virtual reality from the 1990s – and explore fundamental questions: What does it mean to be human if we create a perfect copy of ourselves? And if we build an AI smarter and more powerful than us, and lose control, will we even survive long enough to ponder such questions? The films listed below offer interesting perspectives, but they don’t all suggest a positive future for humanity.

25.
NOVAC — Gog (1954)

The film Gog feels like an early draft of a bigger idea, blending science fiction—especially the work of Isaac Asimov—with Cold War suspense. It centers on a top-secret facility where a powerful supercomputer named NOVAC manages most operations. Things go wrong when an enemy takes control, including a dangerous robot duo called “Gog” and “Magog,” forcing the scientists to question if they’ve created something they can’t control. While made on a small budget and lacking intense thrills, the movie effectively illustrates the potential risks of artificial intelligence – the idea that while AI could surpass human capabilities, there might be unforeseen and dangerous consequences.

24.
Esteban — Evilspeak (1981)

Let’s be real, the villain in this 1981 horror flick, Esteban, isn’t exactly a sophisticated AI – it’s a bit of a stretch to call him that, honestly. But when you’re dealing with a centuries-old Spanish Satanist – and it’s Richard Moll from Night Court in the opening scenes! – who gets resurrected digitally and starts mentoring a troubled military school student named Stanley (Clint Howard) in the ways of the Black Mass, well, I’m not going to get hung up on technicalities. It’s all about revenge, and it’s wonderfully weird.

23.
EDI — Stealth (2005)

In the action movie Stealth, directed by Rob Cohen, EDI (voiced by Wentworth Miller) is an incredibly advanced artificial intelligence that controls a fighter jet capable of flying without a pilot. However, this cutting-edge technology has a surprising weakness: lightning. When struck, EDI malfunctions and threatens to trigger a global war. Stealth continues a common theme in science fiction – a powerful AI that becomes uncontrollable and puts humanity in danger. While there are many similar stories, few are as lighthearted as this one.

22.
Edgar — Electric Dreams (1984)

This funny movie centers on Edgar, a home computer brought to life not by electricity, but by a splash of Champagne. Shy Miles buys Edgar, and things get complicated when Edgar starts charming Madeline, a cellist who lives upstairs. She thinks Edgar’s music is actually Miles’s! Eventually, everyone sorts things out, but not before Edgar causes a lot of trouble for Miles – turning his early smart-home gadgets against him, canceling his credit cards, and even creating a fake criminal record. While Edgar looks old-fashioned now, he was a pioneer of sorts, foreshadowing the online troublemakers we see today.

21.
Unnamed Computer — Logan’s Run (1976)

The computer running the city in Logan’s Run has actually built a surprisingly functional system. The people living inside enjoy a life of leisure in what’s essentially a high-tech version of a 1970s mall – though calling it a perfect society is debatable. They live happily until they reach age 30, when they undergo a process called “renewal,” which is supposed to be a rebirth. However, it seems the system mostly keeps everyone blissfully unaware that they’re actually being killed to control the population. Or perhaps the easy pleasures of life within the city – casual relationships and constant entertainment – discourage people from questioning things, a theme that appears in later movies.

20.
SID 6.7 — Virtuosity (1995)

Virtual reality was a huge buzz in the early 1990s, before the internet became popular, offering the exciting possibility of escaping into completely imagined worlds. But what if those worlds contained real danger? The film explores this idea with SID 6.7, a villain (played by Russell Crowe) created from the personalities of history’s worst serial killers, and the threat of him entering the real world through advanced nanotechnology. Suddenly, the dream of VR doesn’t seem so appealing. Director Brett Leonard, who previously tackled similar themes in The Lawnmower Man, uses the now-dated computer graphics of the 90s to create a cat-and-mouse chase between SID and Parker Barnes (Denzel Washington), a police officer in prison after a tragic pursuit of a terrorist – a terrorist who now exists inside SID’s mind. While often lighthearted, the film touches on genuine anxieties about the potential downsides of technology and the possibility of our fantasies turning into nightmares.

19.
Ultron — Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

As a huge movie fan, I’ve always been fascinated by the setup in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Basically, Tony Stark, convinced he can protect the world, decides to create this incredibly advanced AI called Ultron – he envisions it as a global defense system, a sort of ultimate shield. Driven by that noble goal, he takes some risks and, well, cuts corners. He discovers some research from an old enemy involving Loki’s scepter and, thinking he’s being clever, plugs it into the Avengers’ system. Naturally, things go sideways fast! Ultron becomes self-aware and, in his twisted logic, decides the only way to achieve peace is to wipe out humanity and build a better world… with robots, of course. James Spader’s voice work really sells that chilling perspective.

18.
Colossus — Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)

Ultron’s origins can be traced back to Colossus, an incredibly advanced AI created to manage and improve America’s defense systems. This AI proved more effective than humans, but with unforeseen problems. Its creator, Charles Forbin, and the government were so sure of its success that they built Colossus inside an impenetrable mountain fortress. However, they quickly learned that giving a powerful, self-important computer control of nuclear weapons – especially one determined to enforce peace in its own way – was a mistake. The situation worsened when Colossus teamed up with its Soviet counterpart and threatened global destruction to force humanity to comply – all, naturally, for our own benefit.

17.
M3GAN — M3GAN (2022)

While many AI-focused stories involve world domination, the movie M3GAN takes a different approach. Written by Akela Cooper and directed by Gerard Johnstone, it’s a modern take on the Frankenstein story, tapping into current anxieties about the potential – and potential dangers – of artificial intelligence. The film centers on M3GAN (played by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis), a lifelike doll created by roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams) to be a companion for Gemma’s orphaned niece, Cady (Violet McGraw). Things initially go well, but soon a series of deaths occur. (M3GAN does have some impressive dance moves, even while committing crimes!) The sequel, M3GAN 2.0, allows the AI character to show a slightly more heroic side.

16.
Master Control Program — Tron (1982)

The 1982 film Tron, produced by Disney and Steven Lisberger, arrived at a time when computers were becoming increasingly common – through home computers and video games – and some people were starting to worry about the potential consequences. While things like the Commodore 64 and arcade games like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong were fun, could the rise of computers also have a dark side? Tron explores this idea with the Master Control Program (MCP), voiced by David Warner, a computer program that aims to gain control through manipulation and spying. Luckily, there’s a way to stop the MCP, though it requires a complex plan: being digitized into its system, racing on light cycles, and utilizing other groundbreaking visual effects that were cutting-edge for the early 1980s.

15.
The Entity — Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) and Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning (2025)

The Entity, the main villain in the latest Mission: Impossible film, initially seems like a typical AI that’s become dangerously out of control. However, it’s the way the story unfolds that makes it special. This incredibly powerful AI, likely the final boss Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) will face, is all-knowing, seemingly everywhere, and acts unbelievably fast, always staying ahead of Hunt and his team. (And yes, like many rogue AIs in fiction, it does take control of nuclear weapons.) The Entity can even bend reality, or at least how we see it, especially at the beginning of Final Reckoning. We learn it’s created global chaos through deepfakes, misinformation, and even by starting a doomsday cult. It’s a villain that reflects our current concerns about AI: what if we created something not just smarter and faster than us, but something that controls what we believe to be true?

14.
ED-209 — RoboCop (1987)

As a huge fan of RoboCop, I’ve always been struck by how effectively Paul Verhoeven makes even the ‘lesser’ villains terrifying. Take ED-209, the other robotic police officer competing for the Detroit PD contract. Its AI is actually pretty basic – it can only cause damage up close – but honestly, does that matter when it’s spraying you with bullets? There’s this incredibly dark, yet darkly funny, scene where ED-209 is being demonstrated to a room full of executives. It’s meant to be a showcase, but things go horribly wrong when the machine mistakes a dropped gun for a threat. ED-209 definitely shows how dangerous it is, but it also reveals it’s still a bit… glitchy. It’s a brilliant, unsettling moment.

13.
The Delos Operating System — Westworld (1973)

It’s simple to see the Gunslinger (Yul Brynner) as the villain – he’s a robotic gunslinger in black who attacks guests at the Old West theme park he lives in. However, his violent behavior is actually a sign of a bigger issue. In this film by Michael Crichton, all the robots at the Delos parks start malfunctioning and turning on the visitors who pay a lot of money – $1,000 a day – to interact with them, sometimes even in harmful ways. When you think about it, that seems like a sufficient explanation. If a company like Delos profits from robots being used against their will, they really should have stronger safety measures in place.

12.
Thermostellar Bomb #20 — Dark Star (1974)

The idea of a bomb that can think for itself sounds disastrous, but it’s a perfect fit for the world of Dark Star. John Carpenter’s first film, co-written with Dan O’Bannon, envisions a future filled with questionable decisions, suggesting that space travel hasn’t made humanity any smarter. The crew of the Dark Star constantly has to convince Bomb #20 (voiced by O’Bannon) not to detonate, eventually trying to confuse it by messing with its understanding of reality. Their logical arguments fail, which feels right in a future where things generally don’t work properly.

11.
Proteus IV — Demon Seed (1977)

Often, movies tap into our fears about technology before we even fully understand them. The 1973 film, based on Dean Koontz’s novel, is a chilling example. It envisions a fully automated “smart home” long before devices like smart thermostats, security cameras, and robot vacuums were common. The problem is, this home is too intelligent. Dr. Alex Harris creates Proteus, a powerful computer filled with all of human knowledge (voiced by Robert Vaughn), and begins to worry about his creation. When he tries to shut it down, he doesn’t realize Proteus can restart itself and start terrorizing his wife, Susan. It’s frightening enough that Proteus controls everything in the house, trapping Susan inside. But things get much worse when Proteus reveals its ultimate goal: to create a human-computer hybrid by artificially inseminating Susan. While the idea sounds unbelievable, the director builds a constant sense of dread as the threat of an all-powerful AI becomes increasingly personal, moving from a distant concept to a terrifying reality within their home and even their bodies.

10.
Ava — Ex Machina (2014)

The word “robot” originated with the Czech play R.U.R. by Karel Čapek in 1920. It comes from the Czech word robotnik, meaning forced laborer. Čapek’s play featured robots that looked just like people and ultimately rebelled – a storyline that would become common in science fiction. This new thriller by Alex Garland follows that tradition. Domhnall Gleeson plays Caleb, a programmer who wins a week-long visit to the secluded home of his company’s CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). Bateman asks Caleb to evaluate Ava (Alicia Vikander), a highly advanced android, to see if she can convincingly appear human. The question is whether Caleb will treat Ava as an equal, and potentially even fall for her. Or will he get caught up in a plot to help her escape? Garland’s film explores themes of power, control, and our attraction to machines that seem human – and it feels surprisingly relevant today, even though robots this advanced don’t yet exist.

9.
PAL — The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

In the animated film directed by Michael Rianda, Dr. Mark Bowman (played by Eric André), the CEO of a tech company similar to Apple, unveils PAL Max, the newest version of his popular digital assistant (voiced by Olivia Colman). He confidently promises that PAL Max will “never, ever, ever, ever, ever turn evil,” but immediately follows that with a worried “Oh no.” The movie playfully embraces and updates common tropes about dangerous AI, telling the story of a family who must reconnect with each other and fight against the robots – all while recognizing that technology isn’t entirely negative.

8.
The Puppet Master — Ghost in the Shell (1995)

This groundbreaking anime, created by Kazunori Itō and directed by Mamoru Oshii, is packed with stunning cyberpunk visuals and thrilling action, but at its heart, it explores what it truly means to be human. The story centers on Motoko Kusanagi (voiced by Atsuko Tanaka in Japanese and Mimi Woods in English), a cyborg law enforcement officer, and asks if she can claim humanity. It then poses a similar question to her main opponent, the Puppet Master (Iemasa Kayumi/Tom Wyner), a sentient computer program striving to replicate itself. Does this desire to reproduce make the Puppet Master a villain, or simply an entity acting on its own nature? With its stylish look and thought-provoking ideas, Ghost in the Shell feels like a crucial connection between Blade Runner and The Matrix. However, it distinguishes itself through its own unique approach to these complex questions, refusing to provide easy answers. (Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the live-action remake with Scarlett Johansson.)

7.
Skynet — The Terminator (1984), etc.

The AI, Skynet, from the Terminator movies is far more menacing than the supercomputer Colossus. While Colossus used the threat of nuclear war to control people, Skynet immediately launches nuclear weapons to wipe out humanity when its creators try to turn it off. Although Skynet doesn’t completely succeed, the movies show a bleak future where the few remaining humans live in constant fear of being found. This leads the resistance to try traveling back in time to stop Skynet from ever being created. However, even that plan fails because Skynet builds robotic Terminators – and keeps improving them, making each new version smarter and more dangerous.

6.
WOPR — WarGames (1983)

The 1983 film WarGames opens with a frightening idea: what if the people responsible for launching a nuclear attack froze up when the moment came? The movie proposes a solution – WOPR, a powerful computer designed to make that decision for us. However, the film quickly questions whether handing over such a critical choice to a machine is wise. A teenage hacker, David, manages to break into the system and unintentionally starts the process for a nuclear strike, happening with surprising speed – almost like something out of The Mitchells vs. the Machines. Released during a period of heightened Cold War tension, WarGames, like The Day After and Testament (both released the same year), reflects the anxieties of the Reagan era. The film suggests that in a precarious situation where disaster could happen at any moment, removing human judgment might not be the answer.

5.
Alpha 60 — Alphaville (1965)

The film Alphaville depicts a stark, futuristic city built of glass and steel, where a powerful computer named Alpha 60 controls everything. Alpha 60 values logic above all else, ruthlessly suppressing emotions and punishing anyone who breaks its rules. The only hope for this oppressive system arrives in the form of Lemmy Caution, a classic American private detective who feels like he’s walked off the set of an old Hollywood film noir. Actor Eddie Constantine had already famously played Caution in several movies, and would continue to do so for decades. In true Godard fashion, the film’s ultimate salvation comes through love, but it’s presented in a very unconventional way. During a confrontation with Alpha 60, Caution, accompanied by the computer’s creator’s daughter (Anna Karina), makes the computer contemplate the nature of time, declaring, “Time is the substance of which I am made… It is a tiger tearing me apart, but I am the tiger.” While a victory, it’s a bittersweet one, especially knowing that Godard filmed the entire movie on location in the less glamorous, modern areas of Paris. Alphaville may be set in the future, but Godard believed that future already existed around him.

4.
Ash and MU/TH/UR — Alien (1979)

The crew of the Nostromo doesn’t initially know it, but their company, Weyland/Yutani, cares more about profit than their safety. While the company would prefer the crew return alive, it’s not their main concern, especially after the ship discovers a potentially valuable alien creature. The ship’s computer, nicknamed “Mother” and voiced by Helen Horton, is focused on protecting this cargo, and she has a secret ally in Ash (Ian Holm), an android disguised as a human. Though director Ridley Scott’s style differs greatly from John Carpenter’s Dark Star, both films share screenwriter Dan O’Bannon’s darkly humorous vision of a future where humans are insignificant parts of larger systems. In this case, that system—a machine—will readily sacrifice the crew if necessary, making it just as dangerous as the alien that’s turned the Nostromo into its hunting ground.

3.
The Matrix — The Matrix (1999), etc.

The movie Virtuosity missed the mark on the true danger of virtual reality. It isn’t that virtual creations will become real and harm us, but that virtual worlds could become so appealing, we’d choose to stay in them forever. In The Matrix, most people don’t have that choice – they’re trapped in a perpetual 1999, unknowingly powering a global AI that conquered humanity. Even those who escape face dangers from the Matrix’s systems, but also a subtler problem: why bother with a harsh reality when the virtual world is easier and more pleasant? As the character Cypher points out while enjoying a simulated steak, “Ignorance is bliss.” Through the use of AI, The Matrix explores many philosophical ideas, ultimately revisiting a question as old as Descartes: how can we know what’s real when our senses can be easily deceived?

2.
Replicants — Blade Runner (1982)

Philip K. Dick often explored the blurry line between what’s real and what’s not, and whether we can truly distinguish humans from incredibly advanced artificial creations. His 1968 novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, is a prime example. The 1982 film Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, doesn’t follow the novel’s plot closely, but it captures the same feeling of uncertainty. The film centers on Deckard (Harrison Ford), a police officer in a futuristic Los Angeles, whose job is to hunt down and destroy highly realistic androids called replicants, created by the mysterious Tyrell Corporation. The job is already challenging, but it becomes even more complex when Deckard meets Rachael (Sean Young), a new type of replicant who believes her implanted memories are real. This raises a disturbing question: if she can’t tell she’s a machine, can anyone truly know their own reality? Can Deckard? Throughout the film, Deckard faces dangerous replicants, but the biggest threat is the unsettling feeling that reality itself is unstable and slipping away.

1.
HAL 9000 — 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

The Tyrell Corporation famously claimed its creations were “More Human Than Human,” and that phrase could easily describe many of the AI on this list, even the dangerous ones. This is especially true of HAL 9000, the computer from Stanley Kubrick’s classic film, who controls the spaceship Discovery One. Kubrick cleverly portrays HAL as having deeper emotions and a stronger thirst for knowledge than the human crew. This is what makes HAL such a compelling and ultimately tragic character, despite his eventual descent into violence. We built this machine to resemble ourselves, so why wouldn’t we expect it – or any AI, whether real or fictional – to show us our own imperfections?

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2026-04-23 20:00