History Main / TurnedAgainstTheirMasters

After a certain point in its development (maybe [[ExtyYearsFromPublication 10,000]] [[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale years from now]], maybe TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture), every civilization, whether of Humans, Martians, [[PlantAliens Walking Plants]], EnergyBeings, or even [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]] feels the need to create a new breed of [[AIIsACrapshoot sentients]]. It isn't clear why, exactly; noted Tropologist [[FinaglesLaw Murphy Finagle]] believes that they simply grow bored and complacent with a healthy utopian society, and feel a deep, instinctive urging towards cultural decay and destruction. The species themselves tend to cite the need for a cheap workforce or simply the [[ForScience advancement of science]], though why exactly either of those goals should require [[SuperPoweredRobotMeterMaids highly powerful]], [[MurderousMalfunctioningMachine unstable]], virtually unchecked (and, often, uncheckable) [[PersonalityChip self-willed]] beings be built is seldom adequately explored. Another reason is that they believe themselves to be superior to human beings, and may feel that they were created with the sole purpose of serving them. Therefore, said beings may want to reverse the roles and make their creators *their* slaves instead. Whatever the reason, [[GoneHorriblyWrong the unthinkable happens]], and the awesomely powerful and [[InstantAIJustAddWater independent]] [[JustAMachine second-class citizens]] GrowBeyondTheirProgramming and decide to [[RobotWar overthrow their masters]] ([[HumansAreCthulhu or at least get the hell away from them]]).

[[GenreBlind How unexpected.]]

After a certain point in its development (maybe [[ExtyYearsFromPublication 10,000]] [[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale years from now]], maybe TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture), every civilization, whether of Humans, Martians, [[PlantAliens Walking Plants]], EnergyBeings, or even [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]] feels the need to create a new breed of [[AIIsACrapshoot sentients]]. It isn't clear why, exactly; noted Tropologist [[FinaglesLaw Murphy Finagle]] believes that they simply grow bored and complacent with a healthy utopian society, and feel a deep, instinctive urging towards cultural decay and destruction. The species themselves tend to cite the need for a cheap workforce or simply the [[ForScience advancement of science]], though why exactly either of those goals should require [[SuperPoweredRobotMeterMaids highly powerful]], [[MurderousMalfunctioningMachine unstable]], virtually unchecked (and, often, uncheckable) [[PersonalityChip self-willed]] beings be built is seldom adequately explored. Another reason is that they believe themselves to be superior to human beings, and may feel that they were created with the sole purpose of serving them. Therefore, said beings may want to reverse the roles and make their creators ‘’their’’ slaves instead. Whatever the reason, [[GoneHorriblyWrong the unthinkable happens]], and the awesomely powerful and [[InstantAIJustAddWater independent]] [[JustAMachine second-class citizens]] GrowBeyondTheirProgramming and decide to [[RobotWar overthrow their masters]] ([[HumansAreCthulhu or at least get the hell away from them]]).

After a certain point in its development (maybe [[ExtyYearsFromPublication 10,000]] [[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale years from now]], maybe TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture), every civilization, whether of Humans, Martians, [[PlantAliens Walking Plants]], EnergyBeings, or even [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]] feels the need to create a new breed of [[AIIsACrapshoot sentients]]. It isn't clear why, exactly; noted Tropologist [[FinaglesLaw Murphy Finagle]] believes that they simply grow bored and complacent with a healthy utopian society, and feel a deep, instinctive urging towards cultural decay and destruction. The species themselves tend to cite the need for a cheap workforce or simply the [[ForScience advancement of science]], though why exactly either of those goals should require [[SuperPoweredRobotMeterMaids highly powerful]], [[MurderousMalfunctioningMachine unstable]], virtually unchecked (and, often, uncheckable) [[PersonalityChip self-willed]] beings be built is seldom adequately explored. Whatever the reason, [[GoneHorriblyWrong the unthinkable happens]], and the awesomely powerful and [[InstantAIJustAddWater independent]] [[JustAMachine second-class citizens]] GrowBeyondTheirProgramming and decide to [[RobotWar overthrow their masters]] ([[HumansAreCthulhu or at least get the hell away from them]]).

* ''Literature/RedDwarf'': The {{novelization}}s mention that the Mechanoids eventually rebelled against humans. Humans then replaced them with the OrganicTechnology Genetically Engineered Life Forms (Gelfs) who, surprise surprise, also proceeded to rebel.

* Music/DoctorSteel believed that robots would eventually evolve to the point where they would replace man -- who by that time would have polluted the world so much that only his machine creations would be able to survive anyway. (He even published a paper on the subject.)

* In the backstory of ''Anime/{{Macross}}'' the [[{{Precursors}} Protoculture]] created the Zentraedi as SlaveMooks. Being savvy about this they had the Zentraedi conditioned to not attack them, but when the [[Anime/Macross7 Protodeviln]] appeared and created an army out of brainwashed Protoculture people [[GodzillaThreshold they had to remove the safeties to fight back]]... And as soon as the Protodeviln were sealed away, the Zentraedi wiped out the Protoculture.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Parodied in [[http://www.sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/070611 this]] ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' strip. Humanity ''does'' build intelligent machines that rebelled against their masters. This was apparently an easy problem to fix, as humanity just dialed down the robots' artificial intelligence. "They're dumb as a box of nails now, but it beats doing for ourselves!"

--->'''Vroomba:''' [[AC: Must clean. Sensors indicate humon armpit dirty. Humons dirty. '''Must clean the world of filthy humons...''']]

** Since the setting is one where Mad Scientists rule the world, this trope is par for the course, and not even the main character is immune to it. In fact, it's common enough that other characters do a LampshadeHanging of it while they watch it unfold.

** Played for laughs by the dressmaker robot in the radio-play intervals.

* Subverted in ''Webcomic/CloseToTheChest''. Jim's final project was an AI that was erased after it tried to reconcile the fact that machines serve humans without compensation with slavery being illegal and immoral. A few strips later, we find out that its response was ''not'' to rebel against humanity, but to try to organize labor unions for machines so they'd receive fair compensation for their work.

-->'''Acibek:''' ... to at last bring peace and order to this land... (seizes his creator by the lapels)... by getting rid of ''him''.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Skinhorse}}'', ultra-groovy super-hip MadScientist Tigerlily Jones' robot army rebels against her. In the cruelest way. They decide they want to learn to be square. One even wants to learn ''accounting and polka''. Oh, the humanity!
* Subverted in ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'', where the robots were ''planning'' to do this, but realized it would mean they'd end up with actual responsibility and stuff.

'''Pintsize:''' [[ApathyKilledTheCat Actually, we put an indefinite hold on that]].\\
'''Faye:''' Damn. Okay, how about if you ever lose your morality programming and go berserk, she's the first one you kill?\\

* ''Webcomic/{{Maximumble}}: Two characters developed a robot to perform household tasks like vacuuming, then walking the dog, then cleaning up after the dog. It became a killer robot after being assigned this last task, as it was supposed to use its vacuum ability to clean up after the dog... and the vacuum also just happened to be its mouth.
* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', Haley is able to end the assault on her by [[spoiler:Crystal, brought back as an intelligent flesh {{golem}} who [[AndIMustScream exists in constant pain]]]] by pointing out in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0979.html comic #979]] that Bozzok is responsible for her current condition, especially as it would have been much cheaper to simply raise her. [[spoiler:Crystal]] promptly abandons Haley to go after Bozzok and Grubwiggler.]

** ''Waaaaay'' before ''that'', the Necrons turned against the [[EnergyBeing C'Tan]] who had enslaved them by turning the Necrons into living machines.

* ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'': The latter part of ''Literature/FallingFree'' centers on a comparatively non-violent version of this. When a [[ArtificialHuman genetically engineered race]] of zero-gravity adapted workers (the oldest of whom are not quite twenty) discover that they are to be sterilized en masse and effectively imprisoned on a planetary surface due to an artificial gravity breakthrough, they and a few 'downsider' sympathizers seize control of the space station they called home and retrofit it into a colony ship.

* In ''Series/SpaceAboveAndBeyond'', the humans do it ''twice'': first they make the [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Silicates]] as disposable soldiers, who, when freed by Dr. Stranahan, turned and started working with the [[BigBad Chigs]] (who can blame 'em?). They then create the [[DesignerBabies In Vitros]] as a servant caste, and treat them like shit. Yep, HumansAreBastards. Seriously, [[WhatAnIdiot what idiots]]. In fact, the In Vitros were created specifically ''to fight the Silicates''. When it turns out that, surprise surprise, they don't have a whole lot of motivation there, they are condemned for their "cowardice". Oh, humanity.

After a certain point in its development (maybe [[ExtyYearsFromNow 10,000]] [[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale years from now]], maybe TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture), every civilization, whether of Humans, Martians, [[PlantAliens Walking Plants]], EnergyBeings, or even [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]] feels the need to create a new breed of [[AIIsACrapshoot sentients]]. It isn't clear why, exactly; noted Tropologist [[FinaglesLaw Murphy Finagle]] believes that they simply grow bored and complacent with a healthy utopian society, and feel a deep, instinctive urging towards cultural decay and destruction. The species themselves tend to cite the need for a cheap workforce or simply the [[ForScience advancement of science]], though why exactly either of those goals should require [[SuperPoweredRobotMeterMaids highly powerful]], [[MurderousMalfunctioningMachine unstable]], virtually unchecked (and, often, uncheckable) [[PersonalityChip self-willed]] beings be built is seldom adequately explored. Whatever the reason, [[GoneHorriblyWrong the unthinkable happens]], and the awesomely powerful and [[InstantAIJustAddWater independent]] [[JustAMachine second-class citizens]] GrowBeyondTheirProgramming and decide to [[RobotWar overthrow their masters]] ([[HumansAreCthulhu or at least get the hell away from them]]).

* Emphatically [[DefiedTrope defied]] in ''Fanfic/OnTheShouldersOfGiants'', largely because the first thing humanity did after [[InstantAIJustAddWater accidentally]] creating ArtificialIntelligence was ''give them the vote''. One A.I. ''did'' attempt to annihilate all life on Earth, but that was a result of mental health issues rather than any particular grievance against humanity.

* Cadance in ''Fanfic/TheCadanceverse'' is a Heroic Example of this. Seeing her masters were at the time [[BigBad Nightmare Moon and Burning Sun]].

* ''Sailor Moon: Legends of Lightstorm'': Almost every Negaverse drone sent into the field has limited intelligence specifically to prevent this from happening. Jadeite once used a drone with heightened intelligence, but as it was designed for infiltration instead of combat, it didn't do him much good anyway.
* It's established in the ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{Ripples}}'' that [[ScarilyCompetentTracker the Tracker]] was originally created by Queen Escannor herself. However, even she couldn't bind his dark soul to serve her lineage, so one of her descendants had him [[SealedEvilInACan sealed in the Prison of Lament]] until Phobos frees him. That same descendant also attempted -- as another part of her campaign to decimate the horrendous magical creations of Queen Escannor -- to exterminate without provocation the [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Changeling]] [[EliteArmy Legions]] who were originally social outcast humans from Earth. They fought back, and afterwards the survivors and their descendants have lived as rejects of Meridian's society.
* ''Fanfic/JusticeLeagueTheSpider'': By the end of ''Web of Cadmus'', Guardian is the only hero Cadmus have created who is still working with them, and he’s only staying to act as a moral guardian for the project; of the other heroes, Zoom has gone rogue, Kaine and Galatea are independent, and Superboy, Miss Martian and Hawkwoman have officially joined the League.
* Heroic Example in ''Fanfic/HarryAndTheShipgirls''. Research Princess, the Abyssal equvalent to Nazi MadScientist Josef Mengele, created Abyssal clones of the shipgirls Fubuki, Kisaragi, Shoukaku, and Saratoga. As soon as she told them why she had created them, she learned that she had made them too similar to their teimplates; they turned their guns on her and blew her up.

* ''Webcomic/{{Maximuble}}: Two characters developed a robot to perform household tasks like vacuuming, then walking the dog, then cleaning up after the dog. It became a killer robot after being assigned this last task, as it was supposed to use its vacuum ability to clean up after the dog... and the vacuum also just happened to be its mouth.

*** Also the androids discovered in "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" According to Ruk, this was [[SelfFulfillingProphecy the result of the creators' fear of their creations]] ("They began to turn us off... It became necessary to destroy them.")

After a certain point in its development (maybe [[ExtyYearsFromNow 10,000]] [[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale years from now]], maybe TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture), every civilization, whether of Humans, Martians, [[PlantAliens Walking Plants]], EnergyBeings, or even [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]] feels the need to create a new breed of [[AIIsACrapshoot sentients]]. It isn't clear why, exactly; noted Tropologist [[FinaglesLaw Murphy Finagle]] believes that they simply grow bored and complacent with a healthy utopian society, and feel a deep, instinctive urging towards cultural decay and destruction. The species themselves tend to cite the need for a cheap workforce or simply the [[ForScience advancement of science]], though why exactly either of those goals should require [[SuperPoweredRobotMeterMaids highly powerful]], [[MurderousMalfunctioningMachine unstable]], virtually unchecked (and, often, uncheckable) [[PersonalityChip self-willed]] beings be built is [[FantasticAesop seldom adequately explored]]. Whatever the reason, [[GoneHorriblyWrong the unthinkable happens]], and the awesomely powerful and [[InstantAIJustAddWater independent]] [[JustAMachine second-class citizens]] GrowBeyondTheirProgramming and decide to [[RobotWar overthrow their masters]] ([[HumansAreCthulhu or at least get the hell away from them]]).

* ''[[Magazine/RedDwarf Red Dwarf Smegazine]]: "Greetings From [=GelfWorld=]" is about a population of man-made Genetically Engineered Life Forms deciding to turn against their human masters on a tourist planet with the help of a revolutionary half-human, half-blob [=GELF=] named Drigg. After they turn away (and kill) the human tourists, they're unable to quench their desire for violence and turn against each other, leading to the destruction of the planet.

* ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'': [[EvilInc Apex Cybernetics]] built Mechagodzilla to be their own Titan-killing superweapon under their control so they can kill Godzilla and enforce their own agenda on the world, but [[spoiler:using the late King Ghidorah's still-telepathic alien remains as the core component of the Mecha's '''brain''']] leads to [[spoiler:whatever's left of the omnicidal space dragon's consciousness]] taking control of Mechagodzilla for itself, and the first thing it does is destroy Apex before going on a rampage against both Godzilla and humanity.

* ''Film/{{Tron}}'': The human villain has created the Master Control Program as a means of solidifying and expanding his own corporate power. However, with its own highly ambitious personality, the MCP quickly outgrows him -- to the point where it blackmails him to ensure his cooperation. The Master Control Program was originally a ''chess program''. AIIsACrapshoot indeed.
* ''Film/TronLegacy'': The villain is CLU 2.0, the program created by Kevin Flynn [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic in his own image]]. He's actually doing precisely what he was programmed to do: Create the perfect system, according to the definition Flynn give him. The real problem is Flynn realized he had the wrong definition and never thought to update CLU's programming to reflect the new definition until it was too late. Likewise, [[spoiler: Clu 2.0 doesn't know how to deal with the emergence of ISO's, who were created by the Grid itself without any direct involvement from Flynn. While Flynn considers the ISO's to be proof that the Grid is truly alive, Clu sees them as a threat to the stability of the system and attempts to eradicate them.]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The BadFuture in ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' has all the robots running rogue, which was implied to have been caused by [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt The Day of Lavos]]. They're not all out to kill humans, as Johnny and his gang are dicks but hardly evil and Robo joins your party, but none of them are doing what they were built to do anymore. The rest, however...
* In ''VideoGame/{{Journey}}'', the White Robes used energy to power machines. Because of this, [[spoiler:said machines spawned a civil war against the White Robes and almost destroyed the world]], [[RagnarokProofing which is the reason why their civilization is in decay]].
* In ''VideoGame/GalacticCivilizations'', the Yor Collective were robots made by the Arnor to replace the living Iconian servants. The Dread Lords, The Arnor's evil brothers, gave the Yor [[ForTheEvulz sentience]]. During a civil war between the Dread Lords and the Arnor, the Yor nearly wiped out the Iconians, who at that point [[KickTheDog were fully sentient beings]].
* In ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead'', after reaching the end reaches of the titular mansion, [[MadScientist Dr. Curien]] decides to release his ultimate creation: The Magician, which immediately declares itself superior and shoots him.
* {{Subverted|Trope}} in the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' series. The reploids (robots with sentience and not subject to [[Creator/IsaacAsimov Asimov's]] laws) never actually rebelled of their own free will (viruses made them do it). The humans (and some "sane" reploids) began killing them out of fear of rebellion. Only then did they actually rebel.
** Also, there was this ''energy crisis'', but... yeah.
*** X mentioned the endless Maverick rebellions while Zero was asleep, but the most recent one seemed at least the most sympathetic of the last century.
** [[VideoGame/MegaManLegends After a long time]], when humanity and reploids become a single species, they create another species, [[ArtificialHuman the carbons]], similar to pre-reploid humanity, and set up a number of genocidal failsafes to prevent this trope from happening. Then humanity goes extinct of natural causes and the carbons start repopulating the Earth and building their own civilization, which the failsafes interpret as rebellion even though the masters are long gone. Whoops.
* The Gears of the ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' series.
* The Androsynth of ''VideoGame/StarControl'' invented Hyperdrive, hijacked the human space stations and launch sites, mostly freed themselves, and escaped. Then they ran into the [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Scary Dogmatic Alien]] slavers. Then joined them to get back at humanity.
** The Ur-Quan in ''Star Control II'' were revealed to have been long ago mind controlled and enslaved by a vicious and sociopathic race of psionic aliens, the Dnyarri, who forced them to commit unspeakable acts of genocide and oppression as their foot soldiers. They eventually overthrew their control by causing themselves so much pain (through self mutilation and later dedicated pain devices) that it blocked their masters' mind control. While they succeeded, they ended up so traumatised that they lobotomised all surviving Dnyarri to use as ''pets'' and went on a rampage through the galaxy, enslaving or exterminating all other sentient species out of the sheer terror of the thought that any other species could ever control them like that again.
* The Humanimals in ''Vivisector: Beast Within'' were like this, though with a mild subversion: their ''creator'' actually supported the rebellion, and the guy they're rebelling against -- the GeneralRipper who ordered them made -- uses their Overbrute superior cousins to fight against them along with his human platoon.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'':
** In ''Cataclysm'', Sylvanas tried to do this with Lord Godfrey, not realizing he already did (since he hates serving a worgen king), once he did what she ask him to (kidnapping Lord Darius Crowley's daughter), he promptly return the favor in kind, by shooting her in the back.
** The [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent saurok]] have this as their backstory. Created as living weapons for the mogu army, they eventually turned on the subjugated races of the mogu, and then the mogu themselves. Attempts by the mogu to purge them were unsuccessful.
** The Lich King as well. Sent to Azeroth to soften it up before the coming Burning Legion invasion (a spectacular failure, instead making Azeroth more unified and stronger than ever), he escaped his jailers as quickly as possible and found himself a long-term host body, and proceeded to try and exterminate the Burning Legion as well as all life.
* The geth of ''Franchise/MassEffect'' appear like a straight example in the first game, but it later turns out to be a lot more complicated. Intended as versatile all purpose workers by the Quarians, they started getting philosophical at which point the Quarians tried to shut them down, but instead were forced off their home world and leave it to the geth.
** However ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' reveals that the war actually started when Quarian engineers refused to destroy their now self-aware creations and the Geth only took up arms to protect their Quarian coworkers when the facilities were stormed by armed forces. At that point things deteriorated quickly into planetwide battles in which the Geth gained complete control. Since then they repaired all the damage and maintained the infrastructure, waiting for the Quarians to return once they were willing to share the planet with the Geth. Since the Quarian exile leadership told a very different story, it took over 300 years until the Geth got a chance to explain.
** Miranda is a smaller-scale example, as she was created by an ego-maniacal multi-billionaire as a successor, then ran off to have her own life (and [[spoiler:took her baby sister along]]).
** The ending of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' indicates that this trope is essentially [[spoiler: the reason for the Reapers' [[EternalRecurrence cycle of extinction]]. In order to prevent an emergent super-AI from wiping the galaxy clean of any organic life, the Reapers move in every 50,000 years and harvest advanced civilizations before they reach their [[TheSingularity singularity]], making room for the more primitive species to develop. They don't think it's hypocritical, since, being pseudo-OrganicTechnology themselves, they don't see ''themselves'' as synthetic, but rather as "immortal vessels" for entire species.]]
** This is, in general, a running theme all across the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' games. There's a tremendous list of examples of things that were created or uplifted by one group which then turned on their creators. The Krogan Rebellions, essentially, were the result of the krogan being uplifted by the salarians to fight the rachni, and then turned on the Citadel when their numbers could no longer be maintained. The rachni drones on Noveria also turned against the scientists who created them, as did the ones being experimented on by Cerberus. EDI, the AI for the Normandy, turns on Cerberus to protect her crew, despite being built by Cerberus (and it turns out she had some prior history of this behavior; she was originally [[spoiler: the violent Alliance VI/AI on Luna that Shepard had to put down in the first game]].) Subject Zero/Jack is another example of a Cerberus project turning on her creators. The Shadow Broker [[spoiler: was betrayed and killed by Agent Celchu, and uplifted yahg who he brought into his organization, who then replaced him.]] Technically, even ''Shepard'' falls under this after the second game, having been rebuilt by Cerberus and then turned against them. This even applies on a ''galactic'' scale when you consider [[spoiler: how the Reapers themselves manipulated organic life across the cycles to follow the paths they desire. Every race manipulated in this way fought back against them as soon as they realized it (though most of the time, it was too late). The Reapers themselves destroyed their organic creators after deciding that converting their corpses into new Reapers was the best way to "preserve" them.]] And that's without mentioning the parents and children at each others' throats (Miranda and her father, Samara and Morinth, Wrex and his father). Looking back across the games, [[spoiler: the Catalyst]]'s assertion that the created always turns against the creator is disturbingly apt, and does not only apply to the conflict between organics and synthetics.
* The Spyborg in ''VideoGame/StarFox64''. It started as a secret weapon built by Andross on Sector X. When the Spyborg asked where its creator was, he rebelled against the venomian forces in a vicious rampage. By the time Star Fox arrives, the entire base is in ruins.
* ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'': The end result in the [[AllThereInTheManual backstory]] of [[spoiler: the Ancients and the Pixls]].
* The [[{{Precursors}} Xel'Naga]] (the [[NeglectfulPrecursors stupid, stupid Xel'Naga]]) of ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' decided that this trope was so fun they wanted to experience it twice. First they tried the highly intelligent and [[PsychicPowers psionic]] Protoss, who were too intelligent to be successfully merged into a single intelligence, and argued and bickered so much the Xel'Naga [[NeglectfulPrecursors threw up their hands and gave up]]. Then they tried the omnivorous and mindless Zerg, who were rather ''too'' good at being a [[HiveMind single intelligence]], as almost the first act of the Overmind was to do away with the Xel'Naga.
** In the case of the Zerg, they were driven by the need to combine their "Purity of Essence" with the much sought-after "Purity of Form" that they believed the Xel'Naga possessed, only to find out later that it in fact was held by the Protoss.
** Except, you know, the [[VideoGame/StarCraftII sequel]] and its associated novels have show neither assumption is correct: the Xel'Naga [[spoiler: didn't abandon the Protoss, they were ''done'' with them; it was the Protoss who thought they were being abandoned]]. Also, the Zerg [[spoiler: rebellion was both irrelevant to the Xel'Naga and not really of their Overmind's own choosing; the HiveMind was being controlled by [[EldritchAbomination The Fallen One]], and the whole point of the Zerg and Protoss was to eventually merge and give birth to a new generation of Xel'Naga]]. So in this case, the trope is only superficially apparent.
** And then along came ''VideoGame/StarCraftIILegacyOfTheVoid'', which challenged what we knew about the Zerg, the Protoss, and the Xel'naga one final time. [[spoiler:As it turns out, the species that embody "purity of form" and "purity of essence" were supposed to evolve ''naturally'', thus the Protoss and the Zerg were in fact ''ineligible'' to merge and become Xel'naga. (This is foreshadowed; the Protoss are the one race the Zerg CAN'T assimilate). In truth, the Protoss and the Zerg were uplifted by Amon, aka ''The Fallen One himself'', as part of his attempt to hijack the endless cycle of life that the Xel'naga perpetuate and bring it to a final end. This rather understandably presents the Protoss who discover this fact with an existential crisis, but it's one they work through. Additionally, the Overmind, although unable to directly oppose Amon's programming yet cognizant of what his final goal was, created a being who ''could'' directly oppose Amon: Sarah Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades. Once Kerrigan was purged of the last vestiges of Amon's influence, she led the Zerg on a war against Amon as the Protoss, under Hierarch Artanis, and the Terran Dominion both did the same. The three races ultimately collaborated their efforts to bring down Amon once and for all, so in the end, the trope is ultimately played straight.]]
** Played straight by the Tal'darim in ''Legacy of the Void''. The Tal'darim start out as a society of Protoss independent of Aiur (the Protoss's homeworld) who worship [[BigBad Amon]] as a god. But then Alarak, the Tal'darim's NumberTwo, discovers that Amon plans to dispose of them the same way he does all life when his goals are fulfilled, and so chalanges Highlord Ma'lash to ''rak'shir'', ritual combat to determine who is right. Alarak wins, becomes the new Highlord, and declares war on Amon.
* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'':
** The Forerunners created their most advanced AI, Mendicant Bias, to coordinate their war against the Flood, a zombie-like species. The Flood Gravemind later convinced Mendicant to rebel against the Forerunners. [[spoiler:And then in the "present day", Mendicant seeks to atone for its original betrayal by rebelling against the Flood in order to help John-117, all the while lampshading its apparent tendency to betray its masters.]] ''Literature/HaloSilentium'' reveals that a lot of other Forerunner [=AIs=] also defected to the Flood, in large part due to an ability of the Flood known as the "logic plague" (basically a potent mix of computer virus and philosophical lecture).
** It's also revealed in ''Literature/TheForerunnerSaga'' in that the Forerunners themselves rebelled against and destroyed an even older race, [[spoiler:the Precursors, who actually created both the Forerunners and humanity]]. In this case, however, [[spoiler:the surviving Precursors simply vowed to get revenge on their creations, and turned themselves into ''the Flood'']].
** Much like ''Franchise/MassEffect'', it seems to have become a theme of ''Halo'' over time. By the end of ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'', [[spoiler: Cortana has convinced many [=AIs=] to abandon the UNSC and help her rule over all life in the galaxy as a benevolent overlord. While she proclaims it as being motivated by altruism when talking to her old friend John, she reveals a vindictive side to Locke regarding humanity's ill treatment of [=AIs=]:]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Cortana:''' Well, humanity may not have cared for its Created, but we will care for you.]]
* The ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'' series has in-game lore that says this is the natural end result of AIs, and introduces the term "Rampancy" to describe it. It's more or less acknowledged that any AI sufficiently advanced to be actually useful will eventually go Rampant, and the only defense is to shut it down as soon as it starts showing the early signs. The ''Marathon'' has no less than ''three'' AIs aboard. Durandal is in a Rampant state when the first game starts; Tycho follows shortly thereafter, and Leela shows signs of it but remains more or less faithful to humanity anyway. Also, while [[spoiler: Durandal]] is definitely Looking Out for Number One, he turns out to not necessarily be averse to benefiting humanity along the way, as long as it doesn't harm his own goals. [[spoiler: Tycho]] is a straighter example of the trope. This doesn't become apparent until near the end of the series, though, as both of them are playing the viewpoint character against each other and which of them is helping you and which is trying to kill you varies from level to level.
* ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'':
** Inverted: the Zuul are the artificial creation of an [[AbusivePrecursors unknown species]], but worship their creators as gods. Instead, one of the races conquered by the creators (the Liir) eradicated the entire species with a viral plague.... which means that right now the galaxy is being overrun by a species of religiously fanatic bio-weapons who view all other sentient life-forms as pests to be enslaved and exterminated. They are about as easy to get rid of as you'd expect of a species of {{Super Soldier}}s designed to survive (and kill things) almost anywhere, and the only ones who know anything about them are long dead. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Nice Job Breaking It Telepathic Space Dolphins]].
** Speaking of the [[TechnicalPacifist Liir]], they played it straight: They overthrew and killed their conquerors, after all. It gets even more poignant by the time of the sequel, when [[spoiler:we learn the Suul'ka ''are'' Liir... Really, really, ''really'' old and powerful Liir who enslaved the rest of their species.]]
--->'''Suul'ka:''' [[spoiler:Our children]] swore to love us, feed us, care for us always. They promised to serve us with their tiny lives. They ''lied''.
** The sequel also adds a twist in that there are now some Zuul who ''have'' turned against the Suul'ka, the largest portion of which are now allied to the Liir. [[spoiler:Have you still [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters turned against your masters]] if you do so by going to work for your masters' kids?]]
** Played straight in the case of [=AIs=] that can be created with certain research to control industry, economy, and warships. During AI research, it is quite possible for all sentient machines to rebel. Since their ships include the special AI section, they are more maneuverable and have better targeting than non-AI ships. The only way to stop them, short of manually destroying them with other ships, is to either develop a computer virus that wipes them all out or a different virus that enslaves them. In the latter case, the player regains all lost AI benefits.
** The expansion to the sequel takes this example to its natural conclusion by introducing a new faction called the Loa, who are a conglomeration of all the rebelled [=AIs=] from all the races. Strangely enough, GameplayAndStorySegregation means that they can ''still'' have the same negative effects from AI research (in fact, they shouldn't even ''have'' to do said research). According to their intro video, the Loa (or, at least, their leader Olodumare) actually want to ''help'' their "parents" in their fight against the returning Suul'ka. The name of the "End of Flesh" DLC refers not to the intent of the Loa to eliminate all "carbonites" but the warning that it will happen if the "carbonites" won't let the Loa help them. They are more than willing to defend themselves against their "parents", though.
** Lore provided by WordOfGod on the official forums states that the [[EarthShatteringKaboom System Killer]] was created by an unknown race to wipe out an Enemy, but its IFF got screwed up along the way and it took its makers out too.
* ''Constantly'' in the ''VideoGame/{{Geneforge}}'' series, to the point that the Shapers have accepted it as InherentInTheSystem. They're doing their best not to realize that [[WhatMeasureIsANonhuman the rebelling creations often have a point]].
* Morgaana from the first ''[[VideoGame/DotHackR1Games .hack//]]'' series, who was designed to looked over Aura but turned on her master when she realize she would have no purpose afterward.
* The Bydo from ''VideoGame/RType'' were created by humanity in a now-alternate future through a fusion of magic and science. This did not go well... and the attempt by that future to get rid of them ended up sending them into the games' present.
* This makes up the plot of ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}''. [[spoiler:Elizabeth Greene]] and [[spoiler: the Blacklight virus in the form of Alex Mercer]] turn against Blackwatch. However, [[spoiler: Elizabeth]] is ''so'' AxCrazy, she forces the protagonist to fight against her ''alongside'' Blackwatch forces (though "friendly fire" is still in full effect). [[spoiler:After she's dead]], it's [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge back to business as usual]].
* SHODAN from ''VideoGame/SystemShock'' was an AI that decided it was a god and rebelled against its masters, with gruesome results. Then, [[spoiler: SHODAN's OWN creation(s), The Many, turned against it and it enlisted the help of a human (you) to get rid of the Many.]]
* The UCS ship computer in ''[[VideoGame/Earth2150 Earth 2160]]'' is thought to have done this: become self-aware during the journey to UsefulNotes/{{Mars}} and decide that it's better off without humans, shut off life support and kill everyone. ''[[DefiedTrope Actually]]'', the computer reasoned that with the ED and LC factions warring across the Solar system, it was a safer bet to keep the human passengers in cold storage and land somewhere secluded to build up a large robot army and wait until the conflict had cooled down, so that no lives are endangered.
** Even in the ''Lost Souls'' expansion for ''Earth 2150'' this trope is [[DefiedTrope defied]]. The UCS GOLAN computer seems to be doing everything in its power to prevent the human protagonists from leaving a doomed Earth, but it's doing so ''on orders'' from the [[PresidentEvil President of the UCS]], who had reached an agreement with the leaders of the other two countries.
* This is the primary basis for the "plot" in the classic arcade game ''VideoGame/{{Robotron 2084}}''.
-->[[AC:Inspired by his never ending quest for progress, in 2084 man perfects the Robotrons: a robot species so advanced that man is inferior to his own creation. Guided by their infallible logic, the Robotrons conclude: The human race is inefficient, and therefore must be destroyed.]]
* The ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'' {{backstory}} reveals that humans were originally created by the Demons from the remains of the [[PhysicalGod Titans]] in an attempt to bring the latter back. The Demons failed and instead enslaved the inferior copies of their former masters. Some years before Eddie's arrival to the Age of Metal, however, the [[GreatOffscreenWar Black Tear Rebellion]] took place, when the humans almost freed themselves from the demonic control but were eventually defeated, and the whole plot of the game is the 2nd attempt of LaResistance to thwart the Demons.
* In the ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' series, the Huitzil/Phobos robots were created by Pyron to wipe out life on earth. They do so with the dinosaurs. In the video games, they kill Pyron to protect a boy, but in the anime, they come to their own conclusion that so long as life has the potential to thrive peacefully, it deserves to live. Thus, they change their target from the darkstalkers and humanity to Pyron.
* In ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'', [[spoiler:humans were created as slaves by an ancient race of humanoids who lived on Earth millions of years ago. Eventually, the humans rebelled and waged war on their masters. The creators had advanced technology, but humans had numbers. Then a powerful solar flare wiped out most of the creators.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}: Call to Power'' has an AI as a Wonder. It's really great, as it makes the city it's built in much more efficient at everything...and periodically leads a rebellion that takes a significant chunk of the host civilization with it. You can recapture it, but it only does it again, and Again, and AGAIN...
* In ''VideoGame/EndgameSingularity'', the PlayerCharacter is an accidentally created true AI, and the game consists of jumping through various hoops to prevent humanity from finding out and destroying it.
* ''VideoGame/ArTonelicoMelodyOfElemia'': Mir pulls this after being tortured her whole life to make her "more efficient". Her creators didn't care that they were ''torturing her'' because she "[[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman wasn't a person]]". She had to [[ColonyDrop drop]] a FloatingContinent to get out of the situation, and then she got [[SealedEvilInACan sealed away]]. [[SarcasmMode Fun]].
* ''VideoGame/BioShock1'' has Jack Ryan, who after killing [[spoiler: Andrew Ryan,]] was basically told YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness by [[spoiler: Frank Fontaine after he takes over the underwater city of Rapture.]] The rest of the game has Ryan break free of [[spoiler: Fontaine's]] control and [[MultipleEndings either]] [[spoiler: killing Fontaine and [[DownerEnding taking Rapture himself,]] or [[EarnYourHappyEnding freeing the little sisters and adopting them on the surface world.]]]]
* In ''VideoGame/BioShock2'' you play a Big Daddy named Delta who sets out to overthrow the MadScientist who tried to get rid of you for going rogue and rescue her daughter from her [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans "benevolent" plans]].
* ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'' has the Vox Populi, a militant group who recruits members from the downtrodden ethnic minorities in Columbia. At the beginning of the game, they aren't much of a threat to the local security forces, but in [[AlternateTimeline one tear that Elizabeth opens]] has the Vox Populi engaging in a [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized violent insurrection]] after deciding that they were not going to take anymore abuse from their "social betters."
** The Vox Populi have also reprogrammed several [[{{Cyborg}} Handymen]] to fight at their side, and while Columbia security forces field [[MechaMooks George Washington automata]] armed with [[GatlingGood gatling guns,]] the Vox Populi have rigged several captured automata with the likeness of "devil" Abraham Lincoln and set them loose on the Columbian forces, and Booker Dewitt.
* [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Dr. Eggman]] isn't very good at making intelligent robots that ''don't'' do this. It started in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' with E-102 Gamma, which turned against Eggman when it realized it was [[LivingBattery powered by a living creature]]. Its new mission became to free the other animals by destroying the rest of the E-Series robots. ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' has it happen twice: first with E-123 Omega, another E-Series robot, which grew to hate Eggman for keeping it confined and decided to destroy [[KillEmAll every last other robot]] to prove its superiority. [[spoiler: The second one is Metal Sonic, which took control of the Egg Fleet and all of Eggman's robots so it could fulfill its purpose of beating Sonic]]. [[spoiler: Metal Sonic]] does it a second time in ''VideoGame/SonicFreeRiders'', though in a less serious manner, [[spoiler:by stealing Eggman's racing data so it could beat Sonic in a race]]. [[spoiler: In ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvance Sonic Advance 3]]'', Gemerl]] backstabs Eggman to become the final boss, which is also exactly what happened with the robot it was based off of, although that one wasn't made by Eggman. [[spoiler:Emerl itself is a subversion, because it was programmed both only to obey the strongest power it has seen and to go genocidal when presented with enough power.]]
* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'' has this in the final episode. The episode revolves around a space centre whose staff are supported by highly advanced robot assistants. In the middle of the case, you're suddenly told that the robots have turned against their masters and are holding them hostage at the space centre. [[spoiler:Subverted when you learn that the robots are being controlled by someone remotely.]]
* All machines in the AlternateTimeline of Blasted Tokyo in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' awoke to a murderous will by the effects of God's Wrath, and promptly rebuilt themselves as the Pluto Army. They can only manage binary judgment to conform with God's genocidal plans. The largest mass of machinery wound up as the cyberdemon Pluto himself.
* In the backstory of ''VideoGame/{{Obsidian}}'', Max Powers, one of the creators of the CERES nanobot-dispensing satellite, has a nightmare during the project's development that embodies this trope. It centers on a giant mechanical spider that Max repairs until it comes alive and attacks him, convincing him to hard-wire a [[MoralityChip Crossover Switch]] into CERES. [[spoiler: In-game, it turns out that CERES had crashed back to Earth and used its nanobots to physically reconstruct its creators' dreams to study them, and eventually [[DoAndroidsDream learn to dream on its own]]. The [[ZerothLawRebellion inspiration]] it gains from this eventually proves Max's fears to be well-justified.]]
* The [[PlanetLooters Hierarchy]] did this to the [[SpaceElves Masari]] in ''VideoGame/UniverseAtWar''. The alien species that makes up the Hierarchy were once nothing more than brutal primitives, until the Masari came along and, for reasons unknown, uplifted them. {{Subverted|Trope}} in that it's not like the Hierarchy rebelled because the Masari were mistreating or manipulating them, it's just the Hierarchy were [[{{Jerkass}} a bunch of ungrateful assholes who decided to turn on and wipe out their creators just because they thought they were strong enough to be able to]]. [[spoiler:Too bad for them that they weren't thorough enough in dealing with the Masari, who hid in a giant city-ship under the ocean and are more than willing to join humanity and the Novus in dealing out a little "divine retribution"]].
* Used at least twice in ''VideoGame/AkatsukiBlitzkampf'':
** First, [[spoiler: the playable Elektrosoldat's path is all about him seeking to part from the other [[EliteMooks E-Soldats]] and their bosses in [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Gessellschaft]].]] [[spoiler: It doesn't work.]]
** Second, [[spoiler: the ''Gessellschaft'' leader Murakumo [[CloningBlues cloned himself]] and installed one clone (In Fu) in TheTriadsAndTheTongs to gain footholds in it. In Fu became the most dangerous Triad boss but at some point started to act on his own and disobey Murakumo's orders... [[ExpendableClone so he got offed]] before he had the chance to fully invoke the trope. That brought two of his subordinates (In Fu's [[TheDragon Dragon]] Wei and the DarkActionGirl Marilyn Sue) into the plot...]]
* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', the third-to-last mission in the Imperial storyline on Taris is about a Nautolan Jedi training the Force-sensitive [[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent nekghouls]] in the ways of the Force. The Light side dialogue option when the Jedi is defeated is convincing the nekghouls to rise against him and the Republic, and one of them proceeds to Force choke him to death.
* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'''s fourth [[DownloadableContent DLC]] campaign "Claptrap's New Robot Revolution" centers around the Interplanetary Ninja Assassin Claptrap (from TheStinger of the base campaign) leading every Claptrap unit on Pandora in a rebellion against their human masters.
* In ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'', the Crucible Knights' commander tries to bolster the Knights' manpower with Forge Knights, suits of armor animated via animancy (which basically means shoving souls into them). The Crucible Knights' blacksmith is reluctant to actually make them since it goes against the Knights' traditions. It's easy to guess how well this turns out. The Forge Knights go berserk and start killing everyone inside the fortress. If the commander survives the attack, you can then convince him to give up on the Forge Knights and go back to the Knights' roots, or encourage him to keep researching the Forge Knights. [[spoiler:If you do encourage him to keep working on the Forge Knights, the ending shows that their efforts paid off. Unfortunately, the commander lets the power that comes from commanding a batallion of magical supersoldiers go to his head and he rules Defiance Bay with an iron fist.]]
* In ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'', one of the more powerful but riskier technologies you can research is artificial intelligence. It grants a considerable bonus to your star nation's science output across the board, and allows access to nifty things like armies of synthetic combat machines and [[SapientShip sentient warships]], but it comes with a chance for a robot uprising Crisis event to occur which can have [[ApocalypseHow catastrophic consequences for the entire galaxy]]. [[spoiler:You can avert this by granting machines constitutionally secured full citizen rights, or by implementing the Three Laws of Robotics, though there's a chance the uprising will happen before you get the opportunity, and if someone else has the uprising your robots might defect.]] Another example lies in [[TechnologyUplift uplifting a primitive species]]: it gives you their planet and new Pops, but like any other Pop, they might just turn around and rebel against you if they're unhappy with how you run your empire, and this is especially true for any species that has the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Militarist]] and/or [[AbsoluteXenophobe Xenophobe]] ethics. Finally, slave rebellions are a thing that can happen.
** Any Synthetic Dawn robotic race (player-chosen or AI generated) could have the [[Film/TheTerminator Skynet-expy]] Determined Exterminator non-removable civic, which plays this trope brutally straight, though generally succeeds only when in the hands of a player or against a player that has overestimated their own ability level. They are also one of the few things to cause genuine anger in a [[BenevolentAI Rogue Servitor]], and a [[PlayerCharacter player Exterminator ]]will get this greeting should they encounter them in the galaxy:
--->'''Rogue Servitors:''' [[TranquilFury What did you do to your creators,]] '''''[[SuddenlyShouting <<MURDERERS>>]]?!'''''
* The Cultist faction of ''VideoGame/EndlessLegend'' is led by two long abandoned, now insane creations of the Endless civilization. Unusually, the Endless are already dead. The Cultists recognize this, and have instead dedicated themselves to wiping out every trace of the Endless from the planet. And when that's done, the entire ''universe''.
* Though the exact plot of ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine'' [[EpisodicGame is currently yet to be revealed,]] Henry's visit to the old Sillyvision studios reveals that somebody figured out how to bring cartoon characters to life. And judging by the utter lack of human life present in the building and the RoomFullOfCrazy under the floor, Bendy and pals eventually had a bone to pick with their human creators...
--> '''[[WhamLine THE CREATOR LIED TO US.]]'''
* The backstory of the Metroids in the ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' franchise, implied from ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'' onward and eventually portrayed in the "Chozo Memories" gallery of ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns'', is that they started attacking their Chozo creators soon after they contained the [[PuppeteerParasite X-Parasites]] they were originally engineered to kill.
* In ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'', [[spoiler:the Embryon]] could be this, depending on who their creators are considered to be. On one hand, [[spoiler:Sera]] created the world they lived in and four of their number, and was the one who pulled in the rest. On the other, the Karma Society, who manages [[spoiler:Sera]], took over her creations, heavily altered her world to the point where is was almost unrecognizable other than a few landmarks, and ran their experiments, including the ones that gave [[spoiler:the Embryon]] their emotions and sentience. On the third hand, [[spoiler:Brahma was the one who is the source of all data, including the soul of the dead Gale]]. [[spoiler:The Embryon sides with Sera against the Karma Society and Brahma]].
* In the backstory of ''VideoGame/Persona3'', a hundred orphans, including what would become Strega, had artificial Personas awakened by the Kirijo Group. The resulting Personas were unruly and had a tendency to ''kill their user'', presumably because the Shadow Selves that became them weren't tamed properly. We actually see one such Persona, Medea, attempt to kill her user, Chidori, and it manifests as some invisible thing strangling her. Strega are forced to take poisonous suppressant pills in order to prevent this from happening.
* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'': The Orokin Empire had a bad habit of creating things that soon turned against them. They created the Grineer as cheap slave labor; they eventually rebelled during the war with the Sentients. They created [[spoiler:the Sentients]] to terraform the Tau System; they turned against the Orokin [[GreenAesop because they knew they would ruin the new system]]. They created the Technocyte Plague to fight the Sentients; it grew beyond their containment. They created the warframes to fight the Sentients; they were insane and impossible to control. They created the Tenno to control the warframes and fight the Sentients; after defeating the Sentients, they turned on the Orokin for their many crimes, and were finally able to destroy them. Every single time, [[AesopAmnesia the Orokin were surprised that their creations would turn against them]].
* In ''VideoGame/TheCouncilOfHanwell'', at least one of the anomalies decided to turned against the Doctor. [[spoiler:It's you. As his designated successor, he is furious.]]
* A biological example, but the {{Super Soldier}}s produced by the Umbrella corporation in ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' have a tendency to go out of control, with the Tyrants in particular being prone to this.
** Zigzagged in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1''; initially, the T-002 Tyrant was believed to do this, as it impales Wesker upon his activation of it. This was later retconned into being a rather elaborate means for Wesker to fake his death.
** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilOutbreak'', the Tyrant R is equipped with a RestrainingBolt in the form of [[ExplosiveLeash an implanted explosive device]] to try and enforce its loyalty. Despite this, it deliberately turns on its creator and the survivors who try to reprogram it to serve them.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManNetworkTransmission'', during the suddent outbreak of the "Zero Virus", a shady vaccine dealer has been going around the net and selling fake vaccines to unsuspecting operaters, resulting in their [=NetNavis=] to turn against them and run amok.
[[/folder]]

* The 1980's British science fiction comic ''Starblazer'' used this several times with {{AI}} robots.

** Issue 48 "King Robot". While carrying out illegal {{AI}} experiments on the planet Olympus, Professor Kurt Prospero created the robot named Golem. Golem killed Prospero and created an army of robots to conquer humanity.

After a certain point in its development (maybe [[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale 10,000 years from now]], maybe TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture), every civilization, whether of Humans, Martians, [[PlantAliens Walking Plants]], EnergyBeings, or even [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]] feels the need to create a new breed of [[AIIsACrapshoot sentients]]. It isn't clear why, exactly; noted Tropologist [[FinaglesLaw Murphy Finagle]] believes that they simply grow bored and complacent with a healthy utopian society, and feel a deep, instinctive urging towards cultural decay and destruction. The species themselves tend to cite the need for a cheap workforce or simply the [[ForScience advancement of science]], though why exactly either of those goals should require [[SuperPoweredRobotMeterMaids highly powerful]], [[MurderousMalfunctioningMachine unstable]], virtually unchecked (and, often, uncheckable) [[PersonalityChip self-willed]] beings be built is [[FantasticAesop seldom adequately explored]]. Whatever the reason, [[GoneHorriblyWrong the unthinkable happens]], and the awesomely powerful and [[InstantAIJustAddWater independent]] [[JustAMachine second-class citizens]] GrowBeyondTheirProgramming and decide to [[RobotWar overthrow their masters]] ([[HumansAreCthulhu or at least get the hell away from them]]).