Medical Artificial Intelligence in Film

Jay Clayton, PhD – William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor, English, Vanderbilt University

Abstract: This paper surveys the depiction of medical AI in films from 1953-2024. Our team of researchers collected 70 films (primarily in the genre of science fiction [83%]) that featured some form of artificial intelligence employed for medical usage. The great majority of these films included both positive and negative representations of the value of AI in medicine. The former involved diagnostic speed and futuristic healing technologies; the latter stressed potential risks of misdiagnosis, undue power over patients and clinicians, and malevolent interventions designed to harm patients. We found significant variation in the depiction of AI over time, which our analysis suggests stems from three interrelated factors: (1) the shift from Cold War invasion narratives and violations of bodily autonomy to 21st Century concerns over data privacy; (2) developments in health technology and medical devices including personal computers, mobile phones, the internet, and most recently, machine learning; and (3) global economic changes from an industrial to a service and information economy, and what Shoshana Zuboff has called “surveillance capitalism.” These shifts manifest in representations of medical AI from general life-saving surgical procedures to an emphasis on specialized areas of care, companionship, and psychological well-being. These depictions of medical AI in film often highlight potential dangers to patients in both clinical and research settings, with particular attention to bioethical issues such as the delegation of responsibility for care, legal questions of liability, and algorithmic bias.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence, film, health technology

Learning Objectives:

After participating in this conference, attendees should be able to:

• Identify representations of medical artificial intelligence in film.
• Interpret shifts in cinematic depictions of artificial intelligence for medical purposes over time.
• Relate ethical questions derived from fictional movie AIs to issues surrounding real-world AI.