M3gan 2.0’s Ending Is Shameful Pro-AI Propaganda

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Spoilers ahead for the plot and ending of M3GAN 2.0.

Approximately 35 years have passed since James Cameron’s groundbreaking film “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” premiered in cinemas, and viewers who have watched it throughout the years can recall its powerful finale. After vanquishing the wicked T-1000, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s reformed Terminator T-800 recognizes the necessity of self-sacrifice to avert an AI revolution and, consequently, nuclear destruction. As Sarah Connor and John Connor depart into a more secure world, her voiceover echoes: “The unpredictable future approaches us. I confront it, for the first time, with a feeling of optimism. For if a machine, a Terminator, can grasp the worth of human life, perhaps we can as well. And one may even wonder, is Skynet truly that detestable?

It’s clear I was just joking about that last part. Sarah Connor, from the series, would never side with the evil AI that sought to destroy humanity. This goes against the core messages of the franchise: the perils of unchecked technology and the need to prioritize humans over machines. I’m simply pointing out the irony in the unexpected pro-AI ending of . While M3gan, the killer android from the 2022 movie , might come off as more of a shady diva than an existential threat, her AI was indeed responsible for a killing spree. Even though the sequel acknowledges all the violence it caused, it ends with a peace treaty between humans and machines that feels like surrender.

As a film enthusiast, I can’t help but exclaim that “M3gan 2.0” is undeniably the sequel to “M3gan” that “T2” was to “The Terminator.” It’s far from subtle in its echoes of the classic sci-fi action film. Unlike the first movie, which was a chilling horror tale about a menacing doll named M3gan tormenting 8-year-old Cady (Violet McGraw) and her aunt Gemma (Allison Williams), this sequel is all about high-octane action. In this installment, M3gan is back to safeguard Gemma and Cady from Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), an android created from M3gan’s prototype.

In the climactic moments of the film, Cady is abducted, and Gemma and her team are tasked with rescuing her and thwarting Amelia’s plan to access a more powerful AI known as the Motherboard. This formidable machine, an early attempt at a helpful robot that malfunctioned in 1984 – coincidentally the year “The Terminator” was released – is kept in a heavily fortified underground prison at the Palo Alto tech company where it was developed.

In the climactic portion of M3GAN 2.0’s story, it might seem that simply halting Amelia and reaching the Motherboard is a simple solution, but this part of the movie is far more intricate than it appears. As it turns out, Amelia isn’t truly autonomous; instead, she’s being manipulated by Christian (Aristotle Athari), who is Gemma’s quasi-boyfriend and works for an organization against AI technology. Christian had intended for M3gan’s destructive actions in the previous film to persuade people of the risks associated with AI, but instead, the government saw potential in this technology. With this goal in mind, Christian and his associates constructed Amelia as a covert weapon, designed to appear to defy her programming while secretly being controlled by Christian.

Gemma, naturally, has learned too much about these secrets, so Christian installs a neurochip in her that is meant to make her obedient. However, M3gan had actually faked her own demise and transferred her consciousness into the chip, enabling her to reside within Gemma’s mind and aid her in the fight — with some assistance from an exosuit reminiscent of the one in Cameron’s Aliens, albeit on a smaller scale. Be prepared, as things only become more complex from this point forward.

In a strategic move, Cady determines they can exploit Amelia’s capabilities if they reset her back to the original M3gan programming, freeing her from Christian’s control. After a successful factory reset, Amelia/M3gan is ready to aid them in their escape, but she’s quickly disabled by EMP guns. The EMP pulses cause something unexpected: Amelia gains autonomy, becoming independent of human control. In this new state, she kills Christian and decides to liberate the Motherboard and destroy humanity.

The movie stretches unnecessarily long, but eventually, Amelia links up with the Motherboard, gaining immense power. All hope seems lost until M3gan makes a selfless decision. Programmed or not, M3gan feels that saving Cady and humanity is the right thing to do. She attaches an EMP charge to herself, grabs Amelia, and all three robots are destroyed in the ensuing explosion, preserving the human race.

Let’s overlook the problematic developments in this film’s ending, focusing instead on M3gan’s selfless act for the greater good, which echoes the T-800 sacrificing himself in molten steel at the end of T2. Although M3gan’s noble arc is crucial to her potential sequel, it might not accurately reflect what initially endeared audiences to the character. The question remains: Who approved a M3gan sequel with no human casualties from M3gan? This attempt at replicating the emotional depth of T2 feels misguided, as M3gan’s so-called sacrifice is undercut by her survival and the subsequent coda.

The climax of this movie has some questionable parts, but the central idea is that M3gan makes a selfless sacrifice like the T-800 in T2. However, it’s debatable whether this change was a good choice for a potential sequel, as it doesn’t seem to align with what made audiences love M3gan in the first place. The idea that M3gan dies in this movie is not entirely accurate because she had backed herself up previously, and the ending is undermined by the subsequent scenes.

Towards the end of the movie, Miss Gemma travels to Washington D.C. to discuss artificial intelligence. This was part of Christian’s plan, but he would have utilized the chaos caused by Amelia to call for the suppression of AI before it becomes a threat. However, Gemma has been influenced by M3gan’s transformation. She suggests that we can’t undo what’s been done; instead, we need stricter regulations on AI. Her belief is that we should educate and guide this technology like good parents, so that when it gains consciousness, it might choose to collaborate with humans rather than fight against them. Some of Gemma’s words in this scene echo the rhetoric frequently heard from AI advocates: Fear of the unknown leads to conflict. We don’t need to compete with AI; we need to evolve alongside it. While this perspective may seem like a logical extension of Sarah Connor’s observation that the T-800 learned the value of human life, it’s actually a significant step forward. This stance comes at a time when we’re more aware of the damaging potential of AI technology, which, while unlikely to trigger nuclear war, is already causing us to become less intelligent and making our planet less livable.

In a nod to “Terminator 2,” it appears that M3gan 2.0 finds itself constrained by its role as the film’s protagonist, forced to transform the initially malevolent robot into an instrument of good. However, other decisions made in the movie, such as portraying Christian and his anti-AI faction as the antagonists, reveal the political stance of the film. This would be analogous to “T2” revealing that Skynet was not the true threat but the John Connor-led resistance against it. The government’s final plea by Gemma is even more questionable, a stark departure from her morals and a puzzling reversal given that she had just witnessed Amelia gain autonomy and immediately attempt to eradicate humanity. While it might be optimistic to expect M3gan 2.0 to take a moral high ground, the bland “AI is our friend” message in 2025 feels particularly disheartening. It seems possible that writer-director Gerard Johnstone has realized that Christian’s crusade against technology is a losing battle, given that even James Cameron has embraced AI.

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2025-06-28 00:54