Action movies have long hypothesised the inevitability of the technological singularity, the war between once-sentient machines and humans forming an effective stage for discussions of personhood and humanity among all those flying bullets.

Directed, co-written, and produced by Rogue One director Gareth Edwards, The Creator promises another look at one of action/sci-fi's favourite ethical conundrums, following John David Washington as ex-special forces agent Joshua. He lives in a future world where artificial intelligence robots developed to protect humans detonated a nuclear warhead in Los Angeles, and since then, humans and AI have been at war.

Joshua is recruited to join a crack team of operatives, led by Allison Janney's Colonel Howell to hunt down the eponymous Creator, whose development of artificial intelligence weapons could mean the end of the world. As the robots apparently have some form of superweapon, Joshua's team's one mission is to retrieve it.

Only problem? The world's most apocalyptic AI resembles a cute kid (Madeleine Yuna Voyles) and has firm opinions about humanity and the freedom of robots. It's the kind of predicament that sent Netflix's Space Sweepers into all sorts of moral debates.

The Creator hits cinemas Sept. 23.