How have portrayals of artificial intelligence in movies evolved from the early 20th century to present day?

The depiction of artificial intelligence in cinema offers a fascinating lens into societal attitudes towards technology. Early films like Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" presented robots as mechanical marvels with apocalyptic potential, reflecting industrial age anxieties. By contrast, contemporary AI portrayals often explore themes of consciousness, morality, and identity, as seen in movies such as "Ex Machina" and "Her." This evolution mirrors technological advances and deeper philosophical inquiries into what it means to be human, urging an examination of how cinema continues to both influence and mirror our collective understanding of AI.