Modern technology has made life easier and more convenient for a large number of people. However, there have been several examples of tech being portrayed as villainous in the media. This trend has become particularly prevalent in the science fiction genre. It seems likely that this will continue as humans tend to naturally distrust new technology.

Chopping Mall (1986)

A good early example of this is the slasher film, Chopping Mall. It depicts a group of security robots who protect a shopping mall. When a power outage disrupts their software these machines go on a killing spree. The film shows America’s growing distrust of automation. The owners of the mall employ these robots in order to make life more convenient. However, by the end of the story a large portion of the building has been destroyed and numerous people have been killed.

Black Mirror (2011)

This television series created by Charlie Brooker deals with a different story in each episode. The main theme of the series is that human beings are unable to handle emerging tech. It is often used to enslave society or encourage corruption. Several episodes depict humans changing their biology by integrating with software. The majority of these stories are nightmarish and do not portray new devices in a positive light. Even the title Black Mirror refers to the fact that viewers are likely watching from dark screen devices.

Child’s Play (2019)

The original Child’s Play film is about a serial killer who uses magic to transfer his soul into a doll. The remake takes the story in a different direction. Instead, the doll itself contains artificial intelligence technology. When this software is corrupted the doll begins killing the people around it. This change is significant as it shows that fear of technology is still a dominant theme in modern culture.