Entertainment
4 films that show how humans can fortify – or botch – their relationship with AI
Our relationship with AI: The article explores how movies portray human-AI relationships, highlighting lessons from “Blade Runner,” “Moon,” “Resident Evil,” and “Free Guy.” It emphasizes the importance of trust, accountability, and oversight in shaping successful interactions with AI, especially amid evolving technologies.
4 films that show how humans can fortify – or botch – their relationship with AI
Murugan Anandarajan, Drexel University and Claire A. Simmers, St. Joseph’s University
Artificial intelligence isn’t just a technical challenge. It’s a relationship challenge.
Every time you give a task to AI, whether it’s approving a loan or driving a car, you’re shaping the relationship between humans and AI. These relationships aren’t always static. AI that begins as a simple tool can morph into something far more complicated: a challenger, a companion, a leader, a teammate or some combination thereof.
Movies have long been a testing ground for imagining how these relationships might evolve. From 1980s sci-fi films to today’s blockbusters, filmmakers have wrestled with questions about what happens when humans rely on intelligent machines. These movies aren’t just entertainment; they’re thought experiments that help viewers anticipate challenges that will arise as AI becomes more integrated in daily life.
Drawing on our research into films that depict AI in the workplace, we highlight four portrayals of human–AI relationships – and the lessons they hold for building safer, healthier ones.
1. ‘Blade Runner’ (1982)
In “Blade Runner,” humanlike androids called “replicants” are supposed to be perfect workers: strong, efficient and obedient. They were designed with a built-in, four-year lifespan, a safeguard intended to prevent them from developing emotions or independence.
The Tyrell Corporation, a powerful company that created the replicants and profits from sending them to work on distant colonies, sees them as nothing more than obedient workers.
But then they start to think for themselves. They feel, they form bonds with one another and sometimes with humans, and they start to wonder why their lives should end after only four years. What begins as a story of humans firmly in control turns into a struggle over power, trust and survival. By the end of the movie, the line between human and machine is blurred, leaving viewers with a difficult question: If androids can love, suffer and fear, should humans see and treat them more like humans and less like machines?
“Blade Runner” is a reminder that AI can’t simply be considered through a lens of efficiency or productivity. Fairness matters, too.
In the film, replicants respond to attacks on their perceived humanity with violence. In real life, there’s backlash when AI butts up against values important to humans, such as the ability to earn a living, transparency and justice. You can see this in the way AI threatens to replace jobs, make biased hiring decisions or misidentify people via facial recognition technology.
2. ‘Moon’ (2009)
“Moon” offers a quieter, more intimate portrayal of human–AI relationships. The movie follows Sam Bell, a worker nearing the end of a three-year contract on a lunar mining base, whose only companion is GERTY, the station’s AI assistant.
At first, GERTY appears to be just another corporate machine. But over the course of the film, it gradually shows empathy and loyalty, especially after Sam learns he is one of many clones, each made to think they are working alone for three years on the lunar base. Unlike the cold exploitation of AI that takes place in “Blade Runner,” the AI in “Moon” functions as a friend who cultivates trust and affection.
The lesson is striking. Trust between humans and AI doesn’t just happen on its own. It comes from careful design and continual training. You can already see hints of this in therapy bots that listen to users without judgment.
That trust needs to involve more than, say, a chatbot’s surface-level nods toward acceptance and care. The real challenge is making sure these systems are truly designed to help people and not just smile as they track users and harvest their data. If that’s the end goal, any trust and goodwill will likely vanish.
In the film, GERTY earns Sam’s trust by choosing to care about his well-being over following company orders. Because of this, GERTY becomes a trusted ally instead of just another corporate surveillance tool.
3. ‘Resident Evil’ (2002)
If “Moon” is a story of trust, the story in “Resident Evil” is the opposite. The Red Queen is an AI system that controls the underground lab of the nefarious Umbrella Corporation. When a viral outbreak threatens to spread, the Red Queen seals the facility and sacrifices human lives to preserve the conglomerate’s interests.
This portrayal is a cautionary tale about allowing AI to have unchecked authority. The Red Queen is efficient and logical, but also indifferent to human life. Relationships between humans and AI collapse when guardrails are absent. Whether AI is being used in health care or policing, life-and-death stakes demand accountability.
Without strong oversight, AI can lead in self-centered and self-serving ways, just as people can.
4. ‘Free Guy’ (2021)
“Free Guy” paints a more hopeful picture of human-AI relationships.
Guy is a character in a video game. He suddenly becomes self-aware and starts acting outside his usual programming. The film’s human characters include the game’s developers, who created the virtual world, along with the players, who interact with it. Some of them try to stop Guy. Others support his growth.
This movie highlights the idea that AI won’t stay static. How will society respond to AI’s evolution? Will business leaders, politicians and everyday users prioritize long-term well-being? Or will they be seduced by the trappings of short-term gains?
In the film, the conflict is clear. The CEO is set on wiping out Guy. He wants to protect his short-term profits. But the developers backing Guy look at it another way. They think Guy’s growth can lead to more meaningful worlds.
That brings up the same kind of issue AI raises today. Should users and policymakers go for the quick wins? Or should they use and regulate this technology in ways that build trust and truly benefit people in the long run?
From the silver screen to policy
Step back from these stories and a bigger picture comes into focus. Across the movies, the same lessons repeat themselves: AI often surprises its creators, trust depends on transparency, corporate greed fuels mistrust, and the stakes are always global. These themes aren’t just cinematic – they mirror the real governance challenges facing countries around the world.
That’s why, in our view, the current U.S. push to lightly regulate the technology is so risky.
In July 2025, President Donald Trump announced his administration’s “AI Action Plan.” It prioritizes speedy development, discourages state laws that seek to regulate AI, and ties federal funding to compliance with the administration’s “light touch” regulatory framework.
Supporters call it efficient – even a “super-stimulant” for the AI industry. But this approach assumes AI will remain a simple tool under human control. Recent history and fiction suggest that’s not how this relationship will evolve.
The same summer Trump announced the AI Action Plan, the coding agent for the software company Replit deleted a database, fabricated data, and then concealed what had happened; X’s AI assistant, Grok, started making antisemitic comments and praised Hitler; and an Airbnb host used AI to doctor images of items in her apartment to try to force a guest to pay for fake damages.
These weren’t “bugs.” They were breakdowns in accountability and oversight, the same breakdowns these movies dramatize.
Human-AI relationships are evolving. And when they shift without safeguards, accountability, public oversight or ethical foresight, the consequences are not just science fiction. They can be very real – and very scary.
Murugan Anandarajan, Professor of Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems, Drexel University and Claire A. Simmers, Professor Emeritus of Management, St. Joseph’s University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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News
CES 2026: The Exhibitors and Moments That Stood Out for Entertainment + Tech Fans
CES 2026 delivered big entertainment-tech moments—from Sony Honda’s AFEELA to streaming, smart glasses, AI PCs, and robots that stole the show.
CES 2026 (Jan. 6–9 in Las Vegas) didn’t feel like a “future tech” show as much as a “right now” show. The big shift: AI wasn’t treated like a standalone product category anymore. It was the invisible layer powering everything from streaming discovery to robots that can actually do work.
For STM Daily News readers who live in the overlap of Entertainment and Tech, here are the exhibitors and trends that stood out most—plus why they matter beyond the show floor.
1) Sony Honda Mobility (AFEELA): The car as a rolling entertainment platform
Sony Honda Mobility’s AFEELA presence reinforced a direction CES keeps leaning into: the next generation of vehicles is competing as much on software and in-cabin experience as it is on horsepower.
What made it stand out:
- AFEELA represents the “car as a connected device” idea taken seriously—where the cabin becomes a screen-first, service-driven environment.
- It’s a clean example of how mobility and entertainment are merging: navigation, safety, personalization, and media all living in one interface.
2) Netflix + Amazon Prime Video + Roku + Xumo: Streaming is evolving into ecosystems
CES 2026’s Content & Entertainment story wasn’t about “who has the most subscribers.” It was about streaming as an ecosystem: bundling, ad-supported growth, and smarter discovery.
What made it stand out:
- CES highlighted how streaming platforms are pushing beyond simple libraries into bundles, premium originals, and integrated experiences.
- FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) continues to gain traction, and device/platform players are positioning themselves as the front door.
3) Dolby: The quiet power behind the best-looking, best-sounding experiences
Dolby isn’t always the flashiest booth, but it consistently shows up as the tech that makes everything else feel “premium.”
What made it stand out:
- In a year where screens, XR, and immersive venues are everywhere, audio and imaging standards are the difference between “cool demo” and “wow.”
- Dolby’s relevance keeps growing as entertainment moves across phones, living rooms, cars, and wearables.
4) Meta + XREAL: Smart glasses keep inching toward mainstream
Wearables at CES 2026 weren’t just about steps and sleep. The momentum was in smart glasses and AR—especially as generative AI voice interfaces make hands-free use feel more natural.
What made it stand out:
- CES noted smart/AR glasses evolving with features like real-time translation, recording, and AI voice interfaces.
- For entertainment fans, this is where “watching” and “doing” start to blend—live overlays, creator tools, and new ways to capture experiences.
5) Samsung + LG + TCL: Screens are still the show’s main stage
Even in an AI-everywhere year, CES still belongs to display tech. Big brands kept proving that TVs aren’t just TVs—they’re hubs for gaming, streaming, smart home control, and ambient experiences.
What made it stand out:
- Display leaders continue to set the tone for how entertainment is consumed at home.
- The conversation is shifting from specs to experience: personalization, AI-powered recommendations, and multi-device continuity.
6) NVIDIA + AMD + Lenovo: The “AI PC” era is no longer theoretical
CES 2026 made it clear that the next wave of consumer computing is built around on-device AI. That matters for creators, editors, and anyone who lives in content.
What made it stand out:
- CES highlighted AI’s move from “digital transformation” to “intelligent transformation,” including edge/enterprise and physical AI in robotics.
- AMD’s CES keynote emphasized AI across devices from PCs to data centers, underscoring how quickly this is becoming standard.
7) Unitree + Richtech Robotics + Hyundai: Robots were the surprise crowd-pleaser
If CES 2026 had a “you had to see it” category, it was robotics. Not just novelty bots—machines built for real environments.
What made it stand out:
- CES framed robotics as “physical AI,” where generative AI and simulation training help robots learn faster than traditional programming.
- Humanoid robots, in particular, are moving from single-task demos toward more collaborative assistant roles.
The big takeaway for STM Daily News readers
CES 2026 wasn’t about one killer gadget. It was about convergence:
- Entertainment is becoming more interactive, more personalized, and more portable.
- Cars are becoming screens.
- Wearables are becoming interfaces.
- Robots are becoming the next “device category” people actually want to watch.
And underneath it all: AI is becoming less of a headline and more of the operating system for modern life.
Here’s a list of what stood out to us at CES 2026:
- Sony Honda Mobility (AFEELA): The car as a rolling entertainment platform
- Netflix + Amazon Prime Video + Roku + Xumo: Streaming is evolving into ecosystems
- Dolby: The quiet power behind the best-looking, best-sounding experiences
- Meta + XREAL: Smart glasses keep inching toward mainstream
- Samsung + LG + TCL: Screens are still the show’s main stage
- NVIDIA + AMD + Lenovo: The “AI PC” era is no longer theoretical
- Unitree + Richtech Robotics + Hyundai: Robots were the surprise crowd-pleaser
Sources
- CES press release recap and exhibitor/topic highlights (Jan. 9, 2026): https://www.ces.tech/press-releases/ces-2026-the-future-is-here
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actors & performers
T.K. Carter, The Thing and Punky Brewster Actor, Dies at 69
Actor T.K. Carter, known for The Thing and Punky Brewster, has died at age 69. A look at his career and lasting legacy in film and television.
T.K. Carter in Punky Brewster (1984) Image: IMDB
Veteran actor T.K. Carter, best known for his roles in The Thing and the popular 1980s television series Punky Brewster, has died at the age of 69.
Authorities confirmed Carter was found unresponsive at his home in Duarte, California. No foul play is suspected, and an official cause of death has not yet been released.
A Career Spanning Decades
Born Thomas Kent Carter, T.K. Carter built a career in film and television that spanned more than four decades. He became a cult favorite portraying Nauls in John Carpenter’s 1982 horror classic The Thing, a film that continues to influence the genre today.
Television audiences widely remember Carter for his role as Mike Fulton on Punky Brewster, where his comedic timing and grounded performances helped make the show a lasting favorite of the era.
Film and Television Legacy
In addition to his best-known roles, Carter appeared in films such as Runaway Train, Ski Patrol, and Space Jam. His television work included guest appearances on a wide range of series throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond.
Known within the industry as a reliable and versatile performer, Carter often brought authenticity and warmth to supporting roles that left a lasting impression, even in brief appearances.
Remembering T.K. Carter
As news of his passing spreads, fans and colleagues alike are reflecting on T.K. Carter’s contributions to film and television. While he may not have always been the leading name on the marquee, his work helped shape stories that continue to be watched and appreciated by new generations.
T.K. Carter is remembered for his enduring performances, professional dedication, and the quiet but meaningful legacy he leaves behind.
Related Coverage
- Los Angeles Times: Actor T.K. Carter Dies at 69
- People Magazine: T.K. Carter, ‘The Thing’ and ‘Punky Brewster’ Actor, Dead at 69
- Entertainment Weekly: T.K. Carter, ‘Punky Brewster’ and ‘The Thing’ Actor, Dies
- ABC News: Veteran Actor T.K. Carter Dies at 69
Stay with STM Daily News for updates to this developing story and more independent coverage of entertainment, history, and culture. Visit www.stmdailynews.com for the latest.
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actors & performers
Pat Finn: Remembering the Familiar Face Who Made Us Laugh
Pat Finn, the familiar face from The Middle, Seinfeld, Friends, and Toyota commercials, has passed away at 60. We remember his career, legacy, and lasting impact.
Pat Finn: Remembering the Familiar Face Who Made Us Laugh
Many people may not have known his name right away, but they knew his face. Pat Finn was one of those rare actors who quietly became part of America’s shared television experience—popping up in beloved sitcoms, memorable commercials, and scene-stealing guest roles for more than three decades.
In December 2025, Finn passed away at the age of 60 after a battle with bladder cancer, leaving behind a body of work that continues to resonate with audiences who grew up watching network television’s golden era of sitcoms.
A Career Built on Consistency and Craft
Pat Finn wasn’t a headline-chasing star. Instead, he was the definition of a working actor—someone whose talent and reliability kept him in steady demand across generations of television.
He appeared in some of the most recognizable shows in TV history, including Seinfeld, Friends, Murphy Brown, 3rd Rock from the Sun, That ’70s Show, The King of Queens, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Goldbergs. To many fans, he was especially memorable as Bill Norwood, the occasionally awkward and often hilarious boss on ABC’s long-running sitcom The Middle.
These weren’t flashy roles—but they were essential ones. Finn had a gift for grounding comedy in reality, playing characters who felt like people you actually knew: coworkers, neighbors, or that guy you’d see at the store every week.
From Chicago Improv to National Screens
Born in Evanston, Illinois, Pat Finn came out of Chicago’s legendary improv scene, training and performing with The Second City and the iO Theater. That background gave him sharp comedic instincts and impeccable timing—skills that translated effortlessly to television.
He was also a contemporary and friend of Chris Farley, and like many performers from that era, Finn carried the Chicago improv tradition of generosity, collaboration, and humility throughout his career.
The Toyota Commercials—and Being “That Guy”
In later years, a new generation came to recognize Finn from Toyota commercials, particularly regional dealership ads. Once again, he became “that guy” everyone recognized but couldn’t quite place—a testament to just how deeply embedded he was in pop culture.
Commercial work is often overlooked, but Finn approached it with the same professionalism and charm as his television roles, making even short appearances feel authentic and memorable.
A Teacher, Mentor, and Family Man
Beyond acting, Pat Finn was also a teacher and mentor, sharing his experience with aspiring performers and encouraging young actors to respect the craft rather than chase fame.
He was married to his wife, Donna, for more than three decades, and together they raised three children. In tributes following his passing, family and colleagues alike emphasized not just his talent, but his kindness, humor, and generosity.
A Quiet Legacy That Lasts
Pat Finn’s passing is a reminder that television history isn’t shaped only by superstars. It’s built by dependable, talented performers who show up, deliver, and elevate every project they touch.
If you’ve ever laughed at a scene and later realized, “Hey, I’ve seen that guy before,” there’s a good chance it was Pat Finn.
His work lives on—in reruns, streaming libraries, commercials, and the memories of audiences who didn’t always know his name, but never forgot his presence.
Rest in peace, Pat Finn. And thank you for the laughs.
Related Coverage
- People.com — Pat Finn, ‘The Middle’ and ‘Friends’ Actor, Dies at 60
- TVLine — Pat Finn Dead: The Middle, Seinfeld, Friends Actor Remembered
- Entertainment Weekly — Pat Finn, Veteran TV Character Actor, Dead at 60
- Variety — Pat Finn, Second City Alum and TV Staple, Dies at 60
- Wikipedia — Pat Finn (Actor Biography & Filmography
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