From HAL to Hail Mary: The First AI Movie That Doesn’t Hate Humanity
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment and Amazon with apologies to Stanley, Christopher and Phil.
I spent my Friday with a bunch of filmmakers from New Mexico. A large and enthusiastic group concerned about the state of production here and in Hollywood. We were treated to see a new movie in a newly renovated theatre in the newly developed Midtown Campus area. Sky Cinemas Midtown, formerly the Greer Garson Theatre. They screened Project Hail Mary. I talked with Gabe Pollak, the new GM, whom I knew from their other theater location in the Railyard. He had helped me with my initial El Sailons, so he knew my interest in AI and he intimated that this movie explores our relationship with AI.
That got me thinking…
Because Hollywood has been “exploring our relationship with AI” for a long time now. And let’s be honest—it’s been a pretty dark relationship.
I thought of other movies that explored AI. Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odyssey, his second-ever color picture, kicked it off with the character of Hal 9000, the Mother that would not cooperate. Dystopia has basically been the default setting ever since. Then think of A.I., the Steven Spielberg project Kubrick once intended to direct, which held such fascination for those wondering how Kubrick would have handled it differently or, in certain respects, the same. Certainly a dystopian future. Spielbergs recent comments at SXSW When asked how he viewed AI’s utility as part of the filmmaking process, Spielberg said, “I’ve never used AI on any of my films yet,” to which the audience erupted with cheers and applause.
Keyword: yet.
Let’s rewind to Logan’s Run (1976). The Übercomputer was the all-knowing system running society with a simple mandate:
Maximize pleasure
Kill long-term relationships
Crush resistance, sound familiar?
Quietly solve humanity’s genetic decay problem
Oh, let's not forget the botched AI cosmetic surgery with something called the Aesculaptor Mark III.
Then the hits keep coming: I, Robot, Her, Terminator 2, Ex Machina, WALL-E, Lucy. Different flavors, same message:
AI = trouble.
And now? We’ve got OpenAI, Palantir, and a thousand AI startups popping up like targets on North Korea’s hitlist of American cities to nuke.
Feels familiar, right?
That’s because we’re not watching sci-fi anymore. We’re living in the beta version.
So here’s the question: Why is every AI story either dystopia or destruction?
When did that become the only narrative? The new D&D—Doom & Despair?
There’s a counter-movement brewing.
Peter Diamandis (XPRIZE) is literally funding it—a multi-million dollar push for filmmakers to tell optimistic AI stories. Less Terminator, more Solarpunk Utopia. Less apocalypse, more collaboration.
Finally.
Because here’s the twist…
Amazon just quietly delivered that exact movie in blockbusting fashion.
Project Hail Mary.
(Spoiler-ish, but stay with me.)
It’s based on Andy Weir’s novel. A middle school science teacher turned reluctant astronaut, wakes up alone in space with no memory, tasked with saving Earth from a sun-eating organism called Astrophage.
But here’s where it flips the script.
Yes, there’s AI on the ship. Yes, there’s science doing the heavy lifting. But the real story isn’t about machines taking over.
It’s about connection.
Being alone, years out in space, he converses with the ships AI and resumes his science, but when confronted with another intelligence, an “alien intelligence”, in the form of his new-found friend and ally “Rocky,” a new level of humanity is explored on both sides of the glass. The threat in this narrative is the nature of space and the solution is a dialogue of nature, science, computers and an alien comrade.
Two species. Two minds. Same problem.
No villain AI. No world-ending robot uprising. Just science, curiosity, and—wait for it—friendship.
That’s the story.
And honestly? It feels like a breath of fresh air.
Because while Hollywood’s been stuck in a doom loop, the real world is somewhere in between. AI isn’t here to destroy us—or save us. It’s a tool. A powerful one. And like every tool in history, it depends on how we use it.
That’s the part we don’t talk about enough.
So yeah—go see the movie.
And credit where it’s due: Andy Weir, Drew Goddard, Ryan Gosling, Phil Lord, and Christopher Miller didn’t just make a sci-fi film.
They made something Hollywood has been missing for a while:
A story where humanity still shows up.
About the Author
Curt Doty is a former studio executive and award-winning creative director with deep leadership experience across the entertainment and branding industries. Ten years in Television. Ten Years in Movies.
As the founder of CurtDoty.co, a creative consultancy, Curt has led integrated marketing, multi-channel storytelling, branding, identity, and user experience initiatives for a diverse roster of clients.
Over the past 15 years, Curt has leaned into innovation—leading R&D projects at Apple, Toshiba, and Microsoft, and pioneering interactive content.
Today, Curt’s work also explores the intersection of AI and entertainment. A sought-after fractional leader (CCO, CMO), speaker, and AI educator, he focuses on demystifying AI for creatives and executives alike.
Curt recently launched the CLOWD AI Film Festival. Check it out here and be part of this growing community.
Curt is a sought after public speaker having been featured at Mobile Growth Association, Mobile World Congress, App Growth Summit, Promax, CES, CTIA, NAB, NATPE, MMA Global, New Mexico Angels, PRSA, EntrepeneursRx, Digital Hollywood, SHRM, Streaming Media NYC, and Davos Worldwide. Download his speaker presskit here.
Through public speaking, keynotes and podcasts, Curt is continuing his role as a visionary voice in the future of creativity. He is now a board member of The Human AI Innovation Commons, Encoding Equity Into AI-Generated Prosperity. A framework for ensuring the innovations arising from Human – AI collaborations benefit humanity broadly, not just corporate shareholders.
