The Rise of AI and Robotics in Cinema

Chick-fil-A announced that its new family-friendly app will launch on Nov. 18 with original content spanning animated shows, podcasts, crafts, and games. I have to say, I’m in shock, and I still won’t believe it until I see it.

A peek into today’s edition:

The rise of AI and robotics in cinema
Action Bronson x Meta AI
TikTok Live spotlights Lionel Messi

In recent years, AI, advanced technology, and robots have emerged as central themes across cinema, reflecting society’s evolving relationship with these innovations. Plots about the tech industry often explore how technologies interact with humans, and we often see humans battling tech-enabled enemies.

I’ll never forget watching the Black Mirror episode “Metalhead,” which followed a woman living in a post-apocalyptic world as she battled robotic dogs that hunt human survivors. If you’ve ever watched Black Mirror, you know humans often lose these battles against advanced technologies. Soon after watching that episode, I saw an article about one of the first implementations of police robot dogs that eerily looked like the robotic dogs in “Metalhead.” These narratives on screen often raise critical questions about the future of humanity, the moral responsibilities of creators, and the boundaries of technology, resonating with audiences as real-world advancements in AI and robotics accelerate.

Robotic dogs are only one of my many fears about advanced tech, especially when we factor in AI. Still, it’s fascinating to me to see how advanced AI is portrayed in films, often reflecting our hopes and fears about the future of tech and its potential impacts on society.

To that end, here’s a list of the top 10 highest-grossing films with AI, robots, and/or advanced tech as a central theme, ranked by worldwide gross figures from Box Office Mojo:

Jurassic World (2015) — $1.672 billion: The film uses advanced genetic engineering technology to create a theme park filled with cloned dinosaurs and hybrid species.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) — $1.310 billion: Advances the Jurassic Park franchise with genetically engineered dinosaurs and tech used to preserve dinosaur DNA.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) — $1.124 billion: This film revolves around the struggle between Autobots and Decepticons and focuses heavily on AI-driven alien technology.
Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) — $1.105 billion: Centers on the AI-driven Transformers, with added emphasis on human-made AI and advanced robotics as new antagonists.
Inception (2010) — $839.03 million: The plot centers on dream manipulation technology that mimics AI-like capabilities to construct and navigate complex dream worlds.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) — $836.3 million: Explores themes of ancient AI-powered machines and their advanced tech’s influence on Earth’s history.
The Matrix Reloaded (2003) — $741.8 million: In a simulated reality crafted by AI, humans fight against machine domination, exploring themes of virtual worlds and artificial intelligence.
Big Hero 6 (2014) — $657.9 million: This animated film features Baymax, a healthcare robot with advanced AI, showcasing the positive side of human-centered AI tech.
Iron Man (2008) — $585.8 million: Billionaire inventor Tony Stark uses advanced tech and his AI assistant J.A.R.V.I.S. to create a powerful suit of armor, enabling him to escape captivity and become the superhero, Iron Man.
WALL-E (2008) — $527.4 million: A touching story of an AI-driven robot examining human impact and the possibilities for a future where AI seeks purpose beyond programming.

I was surprised to see popular films like I, Robot, Ex Machina, Her, The Terminator franchise, and Blade Runner 2049 rank outside of the top 10, though they were still up there.

Multifaceted entertainer and chef Action Bronson partnered with Meta AI and used the tech to create football-inspired recipes such as the “Vanderbilt Victory Tostada” and “Hook’em Fried Rice.” The collab is part of Meta’s “Super Fan” Progam, announced over the summer, which highlights sports fans using Meta AI as part of their fandom. Meta AI is also partnering with Nigel Xavier on game-day style for the campaign. University of Texas football players also competed against Meta AI to see who knows more about the history of Longhorns football.

“My favorite part of this collab with Meta AI was learning how it can enhance a creative process in such a practical way. Using AI isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about discovering what can come from your own creative processes combined with informed exploration,” Action Bronson told Boardroom. “I walked away with an appreciation for how AI can inspire innovative ideas and help elevate the overall creative process.”

This college football-inspired campaign comes as the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses outsell traditional Ray-Bans in stores across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. While sales saw an uptick before Meta AI features rolled out, the platform is available via the smart glasses now as well.

TikTok aired a dedicated livestream across MLS and Inter Miami CF profiles on Friday, featuring an exclusive live Player Spotlight of Lionel Messi during round one of the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. Cameras were trained on Messi, marking the first time TikTok streamed an entire match focusing on a single player.
Timbaland signed on as a strategic advisor to AI music company Suno to support the growing brand with day-to-day product development and strategic creative direction. The award-winning multi-platinum artist celebrates his new partnership by previewing his latest single, “Love Again,” exclusively on the platform.
Meta inked a multi-year deal with Reuters to bring the outlet’s news and information to the Meta AI chatbot. This is the first AI deal of its kind that Meta has arranged, giving users real-time access to Reuters content when they submit chatbot queries. This deal comes after Meta shuttered the Facebook News tab in April, five years after the feature was launched.
Elsewhere in Meta’s biz, Wrexham AFC announced Meta Quest as its official back-of-shirt sponsor starting Oct. 22 and continuing into the 2025-26 season for both the men’s and women’s teams. As the exclusive mixed reality partner of Wrexham AFC and Wrexham AFC Women, Meta Quest’s name and logo appear on the back of the players’ kits during the club’s home and away games.
Alcon Entertainment filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Elon Musk, Tesla, and Warner Bros. Discovery for using AI-generated images of Blade Runner 2049 during Tesla’s “We, Robot” event a few weeks ago. Alcon said in the suit that it denied WBD’s request to use content from the film because it didn’t want to be affiliated with Musk in any way. It’s safe to say we won’t be seeing Tesla in the upcoming Blade Runner 2099 series.
Netflix shuttered one of its most promising game studios, coined team “Blue,” before it was able to release a single title. The streamer hired gaming big-wigs who worked on titles like Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Halo. However, they have departed and won’t be developing a new AAA multiplatform game and original IP as Netflix promised.

The eVTOL industry got a big win after the Federal Aviation Administration added a new category that accommodates aircraft that take off and land like helicopters but then transition to forward flights like airplanes, per TechCrunch. This is the first new aircraft category in nearly 80 years, and we could see air taxis in the sky by 2025. I’m going to bet that a tech-savvy city like San Francisco or New York or a more open-spaced city like Austin or Miami will be the first to launch air taxi services in the coming years.