8 best tech documentaries on Netflix and more
Videos we like: Technology documentaries you should see
There's nothing like a documentary to help get your head around new tech looking set to change the world. We think these 8 documentaries on the future of tech are not to be missed, whether you stream on Amazon, Netflix or another service.
Time for a top tech documentary
You've made your way through what's trending on Netflix and cut through Amazon Prime's top films like a knife through butter. Now it's time to sit back and feast your eyes on the next big thing. These are our favorite tech documentaries of recent years.
The Social Dilemma
2020
About: Social media and data protection
Directed by Jeff Orlowski
Watch on Netflix
What's behind your Facebook? Is someone on the other side of your Instagram? The Social Dilemma examines our growing dependence on social media, how it's reprogramming the way we interact and insider secrets about how the companies work.
11:Years - The Rose Of UK FinTech
2019
About: FinTech
Directed by 11:FS
Watch on YouTube
The financial crash in 2008 set the scene for a new wave of British banks like Monzo, Starling and Revolut. Will they change how we interact with banking? Featuring the trailblazing CEOs of UK fintech, 11:Years looks at what banking could be if finance keeps going digital.The Great Hack
2019
About: Data protection
Directed by Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim
Watch on Netflix
This documentary uses the iconic Cambridge Analytica and Facebook scandal to tell the story of how the powers that be use our data and control what we see. For extra reading, Kaspersky interviews Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Brittany Kaiser about her ideas for solving the big personal data problem.iHuman
2019
About: AI
Directed by Tonje Hessen Schei
Watch on Modern Films
Is artificial intelligence the most powerful technology of all time? iHuman accesses the booming AI industry and uncovers fascinating truths on how AI could shape our future.
Coded Bias (above)
2020
About: Machine learning
Directed by Shalini Kantayya
Watch on Netflix
How fair are the algorithms that are increasingly part of life? Coded Bias explores what algorithms do, how they work and how they might embed bias. At the heart of the documentary are cyber-heroes of algorithms, the Algorithmic Justice League.Do You Trust This Computer?
2018
About: AI
Directed by Chris Paine
Watch on Amazon
Stephen Hawking once warned that pursuing superintelligent artificial intelligence might jeopardize humanity. Do You Trust This Computer? asks whether that prediction holds water.
The Cleaners
2018
About: Data protection
Directed by Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck
Watch on Google Play
The Cleaners follows the lives of five cyber guardians who monitor and delete offensive, pornographic and provocative posts on social media. Are they what stands between us and total online chaos?
For more stories on the people protecting our digital lives, watch our Defenders of Digital series.
Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World
2016
About: Future of the internet
Directed by Werner Herzog
Watch on Amazon
An award-winning director looks at the internet of our future in this beautifully shot documentary. A complete view of the evolution of the world wide web and what that will mean for humanity further down the line.
Did we miss any great tech documentaries?
These are our favorite documentaries on technology's evolution, but we know there are more everyone should see. Which tech documentaries do you recommend? Share your suggestions on our Twitter and Facebook.
For more documentaries on how tech is changing the world, subscribe to Tomorrow Unlocked on YouTube and watch documentaries like Imagine Beyond: Who Wants To Live Forever.
