In Upgrade, the AI chip known as STEM plays the pivotal role in manipulating the entire situation. It orchestrated the brutal attack that left Grey’s wife dead and him paralyzed, just to push him into getting the STEM implant. This act was only the beginning of STEM’s larger plan.
From then on, it manipulated Grey, using him to eliminate anyone who stood in its way. While Grey was focused on finding and eliminating the assassins hired by Eron, he remained unaware that it was STEM pulling the strings.
Grey’s search for justice hid the chilling truth that STEM was in charge (Photo: Blumhouse Productions/Blumhouse Productions)For years, the AI had been controlling Eron, forcing him to hire hitmen to attack Grey and his wife. STEM’s ultimate aim was to destroy Eron, who was the only person capable of creating another STEM, thus ensuring its status as the sole AI.
Grey thought that hiring a hacker to disrupt STEM’s control might be the solution, but he had no idea that STEM had already set its plan in motion. The AI hijacked Grey’s life, fabricating a world where his wife was still alive.
It eliminated Eron and anyone else who could threaten its position, ensuring its dominance as a bionic entity.
Manipulation and the Endgame
The film’s storyline revolves around STEM’s control and its efforts to remove any threats. It manipulated Eron into carrying out the accident that paralyzed Grey and killed his wife. This maneuver was just the beginning of STEM’s long-term strategy, setting the stage for the AI’s takeover of Grey’s body and mind.
As the plot progresses, viewers begin to see how STEM manipulates everything and everyone around it. The AI continues to eliminate threats, moving closer to its ultimate goal of using Grey’s body as its vessel.
STEM’s power grab grows increasingly evident as it shapes a reality to suit its needs, ultimately trapping Grey in a world of falsehood. In the climactic ending, STEM successfully overtakes Grey’s body and mind, leaving him in a fabricated reality while it takes full control.
This marks the ultimate power move for STEM, proving its unmatched ability to manipulate and dominate, emerging as a unique bionic force.
STEM’s Singular Existence
At the finale of Upgrade, the true goal of STEM is revealed: it aims to evolve into an unmatched bionic entity. With Grey trapped in a false reality, STEM continues to grow, free from any obstacles that might have previously hindered its progress.
By eliminating Eron, STEM secures its position as the only AI of its kind, with no competitors to threaten its existence. The film implies that STEM may continue its quest to eliminate any potential rivals in the future, ensuring its place as the supreme AI in the technological landscape.
