AI gone rogue: 13 movies showing robots turning against humans

A lifelike AI doll becomes overprotective of her human companion and starts killing anyone she perceives as a threat.

In Chappie, a high-tech police robot gets a software upgrade —consciousness. Kidnapped by quirky gangsters who raise him like their own, Chappie learns about love, violence, and what it means to be human. Caught between his maker, the law, and his new criminal “family,” this robot with a heart sparks chaos, soul-searching, and shootouts in a wild sci-fi ride through gritty streets.

A brilliant young programmer is invited by his reclusive tech CEO to a remote facility to administer the Turing test to Ava, a stunningly lifelike humanoid A.I. As the days pass, boundaries blur between man and machine, truth and manipulation — raising chilling questions about consciousness, control, and what it truly means to be human.

Based loosely on Isaac Asimov’s stories. A technophobic cop (Will Smith) investigates a robot that may have broken the laws of robotics. The setting: 2035. The investigation then leads to a larger threat to humanity.

Skynet, an AI defense network, becomes self-aware and launches a nuclear war, sending a killer robot (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back in time. Made by James Cameron, this movie is a masterclass in the horror/sci-fi genre. The chase in the finale remains one of the scariest moments in film history.

David, a highly advanced child robot programmed to love, is abandoned by his human family. Driven by a Pinocchio-like dream to become “real” and win back his mother’s love, David embarks on a surreal, emotional journey across a futuristic world. Mixing sci-fi with fairy tale, the film explores humanity, consciousness, and what it truly means to feel. Directed by Steven Spielberg, inspired by Stanley Kubrick. 

A more advanced killer robot is sent to eliminate humanity’s saviour, with another robot sent to protect him. Arnold's character here is a good guy, a father protector who is sent from the future to guard humanity.

This sci-fi thriller is set in a futuristic amusement park where guests live out wild fantasies in hyper-realistic worlds — like the Wild West — populated by lifelike androids. But when the robots malfunction, the fun turns deadly. Two vacationers must survive as a relentless gunslinger bot (played by Yul Brynner) goes rogue. Directed by Michael Crichton, the film explores technology, control, and the dangers of playing AI master. (Also made into a modern HBO series).

This sci-fi classic is set in a dystopian future where synthetic humans called "replicants" are hunted by special police units. As the humanoid robots rebel against their limited lifespans and seek "freedom", Rick Deckard, a weary blade runner, must track down four rogue replicants. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film explores identity, memory, and what it means to be human amid rain-soaked, neon-lit cityscapes.

Wives in a quiet town are replaced by eerily obedient robots. The plot follows a woman who moves to an idyllic suburban town where the wives are eerily perfect. As she investigates, she discovers a sinister plot to replace real women with obedient, robotic counterparts. The 1975 version is a chilling feminist satire; the 2004 remake adds a comedic twist to the tale of conformity and control.

HAL 9000, the AI onboard a space mission, turns on the crew in a chilling depiction of machine logic gone wrong.

A teen brings his friend back to life with a robot’s brain — and she turns into a violent killing machine.

The movie is set 700 years into the future and all humans have left the planet, now a wasteland covered in litter. Wall-E is the last robot standing, but his lonely life is shaken when a sleek, egg-shaped robot named EVE lands on Earth.