Are AI Scares The Next Big Horror Genre?

With the rise of AI in the mainstream, will we see a rise in AI horror movies?

Hey Siri, are you planning on ruining my life by terrorizing me with a technological demon or controlling my life by killing those close to me? No? Okay, that’s great because the movies are really starting to make AI seem pretty terrifying. From M3GAN (2022) to the new release at the end of this month titled Afraid, AI horror might be becoming a fully fleshed-out subgenre in horror. There’s always been unintentionally scary movies about AI, like BladeRunner and I, Robot. They aren’t specifically horror, but the threat of AI taking over and creating a dystopian-type world is felt while watching. 

When diving more into horror, since M3GAN came out, more AI horror has been making its way to streaming services and theatres. M3GAN was released in early 2023 and features a lifelike doll that is programmed to be a child’s best friend and caretaker. In the film, M3GAN is used to kind of take the place of actual parents because the creator, Gemma (Allison Williams) is left to raise her niece after her parents tragically die. Gemma is career-driven and taking care of Cady (Violet McGraw) isn’t her main priority. With M3GAN, she can provide Cady with a friend while also prioritizing her career. That is until the AI robot starts to kill for Cady. M3GAN focuses a lot on how parents need to parent and not rely on outside sources, but also emphasizes how AI can be so incredibly advanced that chaos will ensue. The terrifying empty doll stare and impeccable dance moves make her truly terrifying. 

Before M3GAN, we had some real gems of AI horror like Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022) which involves a robotic Santa who goes on a Christmas Eve killing spree. If you like camp, please give it a watch. There’s also the 2019 Child’s Play remake, which transitions Chucky from being a possessed doll like in the original to an AI doll without any safety protocols installed. The Alpha Test is also worth mentioning, as it was released in 2020 and is about a home AI assistant who is treated poorly by the family it is serving. This, naturally, causes the assistant to become a violent killing machine.

If you’re someone who is attached to your smartphone, maybe you should give A.M.I. (2019) a watch. A.M.I. focuses on AI built-in on our phones and forces the user to do its bidding, even if that means committing murder. Finally, Upgrade is a 2018 cyberpunk horror film that gives a man a second chance at life after he becomes paralyzed after being mugged, causing the murder of his wife. AI gives him a second chance at walking and living again, but he decides to use those powers for evil and seek revenge on his wife’s killers. 

In late August, we have another new AI horror film to add to the list called Afraid. Afraid follows a family who is selected to test out a revolutionary AI home device that anticipates behavior to best serve the family. As with all other AI horrors before, we know that AI is way smarter than we give it credit for, and in Afraid that is no exception. The AI device manipulates the family and keeps each member safe no matter what action is necessary to do so. Afraid will be released in theaters on August 30th. 

While AI horror has always been around, there’s definitely a spike in interest as everything and everyone is starting to use AI in some capacity. Whether that’s Siri on our phones, ChatGPT, or even AI devices in restaurants and homes, this subgenre of horror begs and pleads with us to be careful of how much power we give to AI. As technology continues to advance, there will only be more threats and possibilities of what AI can do for us. If you’re skeptical of it, check out some of the movies named here to get a bit more confirmation bias that we need to write off artificial intelligence. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s safe to say we can expect more AI horror movies as we watch them on smart devices that could totally turn on us at any point. Happy watching!

If you want a comprehensive list of AI horror movies, visit out spooky sister site, Creepy Catalog: 18+ Scary & Thrilling Movies About AI.