Memory, Morality, and Machines: Ethical Implications of AI in Popular Culture

Abstract

Over the past few decades, Artificial Intelligence has become a central theme in various forms of media, including movies, television shows, and literature. This paper seeks to critically evaluate how artificial intelligence has influenced popular culture by examining the movies – Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), M3GAN (2022) and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (2023). The films address the ramifications of artificial intelligence gone awry, posing ethical concerns and the risks of this technology as it continues to integrate itself across various aspects of society. While AI's functional capabilities and technological developments have been extensively researched, little is known about how it is portrayed in popular culture as a memory-bearing or memory-manipulating creature. The paper critically examines the problems of memory retention vs memory manipulation, ethical programming, the impact on emotional well-being, the autonomy and control of AI, and how to strike a balance between safety and privacy.