AI in Hollywood: From Novelty to Backlash – How Artificial Intelligence is Reshaping Film

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence into Hollywood has transformed from an intriguing narrative concept to a commercial liability, with AI-themed films underperforming and AI-generated content facing harsh criticism.

The Rise and Fall of AI in Cinema

While Hollywood has long been fascinated with artificial intelligence as a narrative device – from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis to 2001: A Space Odyssey’s HAL 9000 – the recent surge in AI-themed films has quickly lost its novelty. The article tracks this decline through several recent examples:

M3GAN’s initial success as a campy AI horror film in 2022 was followed by a sequel that flopped both critically and commercially. Similarly, the Mission: Impossible franchise introduced an AI antagonist called “The Entity” in Dead Reckoning (2023), but the follow-up film underperformed at the box office.

The most recent example, Mercy (2026), starring Chris Pratt as a detective facing judgment from an AI system, has been declared “the worst movie of 2026” by one reviewer. The film fails to meaningfully engage with the ethical implications of AI-driven surveillance states, instead offering a simplistic narrative where the AI ultimately develops human-like emotions.

AI as a Production Tool: Audience Rejection

Beyond thematic representation, the industry’s attempt to use AI as a production tool has met with significant backlash. Time Studios’ web series “On This Day…1776,” produced in partnership with Google DeepMind and executive produced by acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky, has faced brutal criticism for its uncanny visuals and technical errors – including rendering “America” as “Aamereedd.”

Similarly, an Xfinity commercial featuring digitally de-aged Jurassic Park stars has been widely criticized for its “melting wax figure” aesthetic, despite being directed by Taika Waititi and scheduled for the high-profile Super Bowl broadcast.

The Deeper Problem

The article suggests that Hollywood’s AI problem is twofold: not only are AI-themed narratives becoming increasingly stale and simplistic, but the industry’s embrace of AI as a production tool is creating content that audiences find visually repellent.

Unlike older films like RoboCop that offered “pitch-black, violent satire” about technology, current AI narratives tend toward “propagandistic narratives about how AIs are scary at first but secretly good” – a perspective that feels increasingly out of touch with public sentiment.

Looking Forward

The article concludes by noting that Hollywood may soon need to recognize the AI backlash affecting its bottom line. While the entertainment world moves more slowly than Silicon Valley, it has historically relied on escapism – and audiences may be looking to escape from, rather than further engage with, the “daily onslaught of bots” that characterizes modern life.