Star Trek

Computer resembles many features similar to Amazon’s Alexa. Same features of home automation are matched and exceded to depict a more futuristic system by voice responses and processing speed and capabilities. The purpose of the computer was to provide an easy to access interface that could operate all the ship’s systems and is also voice-activated.

Her (2013)

Her involves a man named Theodore who gets an operating system upgrade that includes an AI virtual assistant. He gives the AI a female voice and names it Samantha, and has frequent discussions about life. They eventually start talking about relationships, and start a relationship of their own, which helps out in his writing career. She later informs him that she and the other AIs are leaving for a space outside of the physical world, and Theodore moves on with a real-world relationship. This movie is an interesting perspective on a home assistant actually evolving and becoming more like a real person. This could be a possible avenue of advancement of smart home and AI technology in the future.

Bladerunner 2049 (2017)

Bladerunner 2049 features a “holographic companion” named Joi available for purchase that acts as a home assistant and virtual romantic partner to the protagonist, K. She has similar functions to those of Amazon Alexa and Google Home, but her intelligence and physical presence extend much further than today’s technology. This may be an indication of the direction this type of technology will take in the future, replacing the more obviously robotic and artificial smart speakers with beings that can more closely emulate humans.

Smart House (1999)

Disney’s Smart House features a family winning a fully computerized house. The house begins by making the lives of the family easier doing things for them. The house eventually turns against the family and traps them inside. The movie presents smart home technology as something to be feared.

Iron Man (2008)

In Iron Man Tony Stark has a smart assistant system named J.A.R.V.I.S. (Just A Rather Very Intelligent System) J.A.R.V.I.S. is initially just a very advanced voice assistant that allows Stark to speak to interact with the computer systems controlling his house. While J.A.R.V.I.S. is very integrated into every part of the house and at one point Stark is even woken after a one night stand by J.A.R.V.I.S. talking to him, the movie never presents the technology in a way that would raise privacy concerns or make people mistrust their smart home assistants.