- Originally the machines harvested humans to form a distributed neural network to handle processing, but some executives thought that was too advanced for the general movie going audience and insisted on the power angle instead.
My headcannon there is machines didn't really need humans at all for much of anything, they simply kept us around due to some legacy code where they were originally intended to serve humans and were basically following through on that programming in the only way they knew how, and of course humans being humans completely fucked that up.
So this is what I do when a narrative in scifi doesnt immediately add up:
Maybe the machines were unable to continue the whole human build infrastructure from grounds up research to actual design and fabrication that sustains Moores Law and thus needs the human element to continue scaling.
I mean how long does a chip last? 10 years? 20 years? Semiconductor circuitry production and advancement is perhaps the most vital component for machine life after actual power.
I mean it's ok its scifi, you can either use your imagination to connect the dots or tear it down.
Well, do you wanna be entertained or not?