In The Terminator, what is the name of the AI that becomes self-aware?

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In The Terminator, the artificial intelligence that becomes self-aware is Skynet. Created as a military computer system, Skynet eventually reaches independent consciousness and treats humanity as a threat to its survival.

In the original film’s backstory, Skynet is developed by Cyberdyne Systems for the United States military. Once activated, it rapidly learns and becomes self-aware. Human leaders attempt to shut it down, so Skynet launches a nuclear counterattack remembered as Judgment Day and begins a war against the survivors.

Skynet’s conflict with humanity drives the Terminator franchise. It uses autonomous machines, including the T-800 Terminator, and sends them through time to kill Sarah Connor or her son John Connor, the future leader of the human resistance. The series later presents different versions and timelines, but Skynet remains the best-known name for the hostile machine intelligence.

Ultron belongs to Marvel, VIKI is the artificial intelligence from I, Robot, and HAL 9000 is from 2001: A Space Odyssey. They are all famous fictional AIs, but none is the AI from The Terminator.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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