Is insanity what we can expect from any future movie having an intelligent, interactive AI-based agent? This is again an artistic issue, so it is hard to predict. Technological developments are likely to bring the potential of real AI agents closer. Moreover, the social issues that promote the use of AI agents as alternatives in humans in movies are unlikely to change. Although the popularity of science fiction fluctuates over time, the issues involved mean we will still see movies that explore the consequences of AI agents.
We commonly ascribe antisocial behaviors to ``other people" in prejudices that we no longer (in theory) apply based on nationality, race, religion, gender, social class, etc. AI agents allow us to explore many of the same questions about aberrant human behavior explored by mainstream movies, in a context that allows us to ignore (or alternatively make explicit) questions of racism, sexism, etc. When an AI agent doesn't act properly, we could easily dismiss this with a sense of superiority; with humans we cannot or should not. By treating a nearly human AI badly, movies can comment on how we treat other people not quite like ourselves. It likely that we will see more AI agents in situations where humans typically appear, to explore our human concerns, anxieties, conflicts and histories.
On a more speculative note - why should we even assume or expect that real AI agents will behave in any manner intelligible to humans (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)? Even `identical' twins diverge throughout life and human societies develop different and often hard to understand cultures. The AI agents' sensory, memory, reasoning and physiology systems will be quite different from ours, and all these shape their intellect. Thus, real AI agents could easily be incomprehensible. Given the many potential outcomes from the consequences of artificial sensing, motivation and reasoning, this seems like a fruitful theme for movie exploration as well as AI research.
As the majority of movies contain an unfavorable representation of AI agents, there might be problems for scientists investigating AI. If the horrors of nuclear war were well known in advance of the development of nuclear weapons, there would have been stronger social controls. I am not equating AI agents with nuclear weapons, but a sensitized general public might feel this way. Some AI scientists also strongly promote this nightmare. Raising these issues is correct and will help form a consensus about the allowable roles for AI agents in society. But, considering the 50-100 years likely before real agents appear that have the abilities of the agents in the movies, the movies and the concerns aroused may do much harm to AI research, even when that research is really just focussed on tools that enhance human abilities and activities rather than true AI agents. So, we might see some ``backlash'' movies.
There are a few recent movies with AI agents that are not obviously aberrant or insane. One example is the R2D2/C3PO team in the Star Wars series, but these AI agents do not aspire to greatness and equality, and we are disarmed by their comic cuteness or incompetence. A more interesting example is 2010: Odyssey Two, where the resurrected HAL agrees to a heroic self-sacrifice once it is fully informed of the situation and reasons. It is interesting that it is presented as making a sacrifice - why should it have a fear of `death', when it can just be `backed up' and restarted elsewhere? Perhaps this would be a consequence of needing some sort of survival drive to be an effective AI agent.
In spite of the many negative images of AI agents, the movies still inspire and excite people. It must be the excitement from a combination of the high-tech gee-whiz factor coupled with good adventure stories. As an AI researcher, I have also enjoyed the movies for both viewing pleasure and inspiration. Although I hope we see more positive representations of AI agents, I look forward to seeing the next AI agent, sane or otherwise.