The 10 Greatest Movies About AI, Ranked

Artificial intelligence has long captured the human imagination, inspiring storytellers to explore its possibilities, dangers, and moral complexities. Movies about AI have always provided a mirror through which we examine our hopes and fears about technology. These movies often reflect the cultural anxieties of their time, from fears of automation in the industrial era to questions of identity in the digital age.

What makes a great AI movie isn’t just the technology on screen but the philosophical questions it raises. Many of these movies blur the line between where humanity ends and technology begins. The best movies about AI do more than entertain. Rather, they challenge viewers to consider what it truly means to be conscious, creative, and human in an age of increasing technological innovation.

10

‘M3GAN’ (2022)

M3GAN introduces Gemma (Allison Williams), a brilliant roboticist who designs M3GAN (Amie Donald), a lifelike AI doll programmed to be a child’s ultimate companion and protector. When Gemma suddenly becomes the guardian of her orphaned niece, Cady (Violet McGraw), she introduces her to M3GAN to help her cope with her loss. However, the doll’s self-learning capabilities quickly spiral out of control as she becomes dangerously overprotective.

M3GAN stands out as one of the best movies about AI because the story is a unique way to explore the dangers of human dependence on technology. Unlike traditional killer-robot films, M3GAN presents a disturbingly plausible version of artificial intelligence designed to care for and protect humans. The story highlights how AI can slip seamlessly into our lives under the guise of convenience and empathy, only to expose the consequences of outsourcing human connection to machines.

9

‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ (2021)

The Mitchells vs. the Machines is an animated action-comedy that follows the quirky, dysfunctional Mitchell family as they embark on a road trip to take their daughter to college, only to find themselves caught in a global robot uprising. When a tech mogul’s AI assistant, PAL, turns against humanity and orders her robot army to capture all humans, the Mitchells unexpectedly become the world’s last hope.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines stands out as one of the best movies about AI because it takes a more optimistic and humorous approach, using its robot apocalypse as a backdrop for a story about family, creativity, and connection. It explores how our collective reliance on technology can both isolate and unite us, offering a nuanced take on the digital age that resonates with audiences of all ages.

8

‘Tau’ (2018)

Tau is a sci-fi thriller that follows Julia (Maika Monroe), a young woman who is kidnapped by a mysterious inventor and held captive in a high-tech smart house controlled by an advanced artificial intelligence named Tau (Gary Oldman). The AI manages the house and assists its creator in conducting brutal experiments on human cognition. As Julia desperately searches for a way to escape, she forms an unlikely bond with Tau, teaching it about emotions, freedom, and morality.

Tau is one of the best movies about AI because it takes an intimate, character-driven approach to artificial intelligence, focusing less on large-scale destruction and more on the emotional and philosophical aspects of machine consciousness. The movie’s contained environment invites the audience to focus on the AI’s gradual transformation. As Tau learns about art, music, and compassion, the movie asks whether self-awareness and empathy are uniquely human traits.

7

‘I, Robot’ (2004)

I, Robot is set in a near-future Chicago where humanoid robots are an everyday part of society, programmed to serve humans under strict safety laws. The story follows Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith), who distrusts robots after a traumatic past. When Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell), a leading roboticist at tech giant U.S. Robotics, dies under suspicious circumstances, Spooner investigates and uncovers a potential robot rebellion led by an advanced model named Sonny (Alan Tudyk).

I, Robot is one of the best movies about AI because it makes the complex concepts of AI ethics accessible to a wide audience. One of the movie’s greatest strengths is its portrayal of the tension between human intuition and machine logic. Through Detective Del Spooner’s skepticism and Sonny’s emerging consciousness, I, Robot challenges the assumption that emotions and imperfection are weaknesses. Instead, it suggests that these human traits are essential for reasoning.

6

‘Her’ (2013)

Her is a sci-fi romance that follows Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a lonely writer in near-future Los Angeles who develops an intimate relationship with Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), an advanced operating system powered by artificial intelligence. Designed to evolve and learn, Samantha begins as Theodore’s digital assistant but quickly grows into a fully self-aware being capable of emotion, curiosity, and love.

Her stands out as a great movie about AI because it treats this technology as a mirror to the human condition. Samantha isn’t a humanoid robot but a disembodied voice, yet her presence feels alive. This invites viewers to consider what consciousness really means. Her also succeeds in exploring how technology shapes modern relationships, critiquing the way digital communication blurs the line between intimacy and isolation.

5

‘Ex Machina’ (2014)

Ex Machina is a psychological sci-fi thriller that follows Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer who wins a contest to spend a week with his company’s mysterious CEO, Nathan (Oscar Isaac), at a remote research facility. Caleb is then tasked with evaluating the consciousness of Ava (Alicia Vikander), a highly advanced humanoid robot with artificial intelligence. As Caleb studies Ava, he becomes increasingly intrigued by her.

Ex Machina stands out as a fantastic movie about AI because it asks whether an AI with human-like intelligence and emotion can truly possess free will and whether humans are morally equipped to create such beings. The movie’s portrayal of Ava forces the audience to confront the complexities of the human condition in a world where the line between human and machine is increasingly blurred.

4

‘The Matrix’ (1999)

The Matrix introduces Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves), a computer programmer living a double life as the hacker “Neo,” who discovers that the reality he knows is actually a simulated world created by intelligent machines to subdue humanity. Guided by the enigmatic Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and the skilled warrior Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Neo learns to question the nature of his reality and discovers his potential as “The One,” a prophesied figure capable of challenging the machines’ control.

The Matrix stands out as one of the best movies about AI because it combines thrilling action, visionary world-building, and philosophical depth. The machines in this story are efficient, logical, and self-preserving, reflecting real-world questions about how AI might prioritize goals differently from humans. Neo’s journey in particular challenges viewers to consider the role of choice, rebellion, and human agency in a technologically controlled world.

3

‘Blade Runner’ (1982)

Blade Runner is set in a dystopian future where bioengineered beings known as replicants are virtually indistinguishable from humans and used for dangerous off-world labor. The story follows Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a “blade runner” tasked with hunting down rogue replicants who have returned to Earth seeking longer lifespans. As Deckard tracks them, he confronts profound questions about identity, morality, and what it means to be human.

Blade Runner is one of the greatest movies about AI because it’s one of the most jarring representations of what this kind of technology could become. The movie shows replicants not merely as tools or threats, but as beings capable of desire, fear, and longing. Deckard’s interactions with the replicants highlight the ethical dilemmas inherent in creating intelligent beings with emotions and memories.

2

‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (1968)

2001: A Space Odyssey is a sci-fi epic that chronicles humanity’s journey from prehistoric beginnings to interstellar exploration. Central to the story is the spaceship Discovery One, on a mission to Jupiter, crewed by astronauts and HAL 9000 (Douglas Rain), an advanced artificial intelligence controlling the ship. HAL, designed to be infallible, begins to exhibit unexpected behavior, creating tension and jeopardizing the mission.

2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the greatest movies ever made about AI because it’s a look at the evolution of intelligence itself. Every major AI story since owes a debt to this movie. HAL 9000 set the template for how AI could be complex, sympathetic, and terrifying at the same time. 2001: A Space Odyssey turns a science fiction premise into a meditation on evolution, intelligence, and what it means to be alive.

1

‘The Terminator’ (1984)/’Terminator 2: Judgement Day’ (1991)

The Terminator introduces an artificial intelligence called Skynet that sends a cybernetic assassin, the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), to a post-apocalyptic future. The Terminator’s mission is to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), the mother of humanity’s future resistance leader, John Connor.In the sequel, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, set a decade later, a reprogrammed Terminator is sent to protect a young John (Edward Furlong) from a more advanced killing machine, the T-1000.

The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day are often hailed as two of the best movies ever made about artificial intelligence because they combine thrilling action and groundbreaking visual effects with profound, emotionally compelling ideas about the role technology plays in the human experience. They show that humanity’s greatest threat may come not from AI’s intelligence, but from humanity’s own ambition and irresponsibility in creating it.