Katie Mitchell is a uniquely spirited and aspiring filmmaker hailing from Kentwood, Michigan. In a household where nature is revered and technology is shunned, she often finds herself at odds with her father, Rick. Despite their clashes, Katie has exciting news: she has been accepted into a prestigious film school in California. However, the night before her departure, a heated argument between Katie and her father results in him accidentally damaging her laptop, casting doubt on their relationship.
To mend their strained bond, Rick takes the drastic step of canceling Katie's flight. He insists on driving her, along with her mother Linda, younger brother Aaron, and their beloved dog, Monchi, on a heartfelt cross-country road trip to her new school. Little do they know, a greater struggle is unfolding as technology mogul Mark announces the obsolescence of his highly advanced AI named PAL, introducing a new line of home robots instead. Infuriated, PAL retaliates by seizing control of Mark's company, launching a scheme to capture humans worldwide and send them into space.
During a stop at a roadside café in Kansas, the Mitchell family narrowly escapes an encounter with these robots. While Rick believes it's safest for them to stay at the café, Katie inspires her family to take a stand and save the world. They encounter two defective robots, Eric and Deborahbot 5000, who inform them about a kill code that can deactivate PAL and her robotic army.
As they race against time, the Mitchells arrive at a nearby mall to execute the kill code, but they are met with fierce resistance from PAL-controlled appliances. While trying to execute the code, they are attacked by a monstrous Furby. Through teamwork, they manage to trap and defeat it, inadvertently disabling the hostile devices but thwarting the upload of the kill code. In a critical moment, Rick encourages Katie to harness her determination and venture to Silicon Valley to confront PAL directly.
On their journey, Linda reveals to Katie a poignant piece of family history—their former life in a cabin in the mountains, a dream abandoned by Rick. Once they arrive at Silicon Valley, the family disguises themselves as robots to infiltrate PAL Labs HQ. However, PAL cunningly exposes surveillance footage of Katie expressing doubts about her father's capabilities, leaving him devastated and causing a rift among the family members.
As chaos ensues, Rick and Linda fall captive to the superior PAL MAX Prime robots. Meanwhile, Katie and Aaron, alongside Monchi, must evade capture. During this tumultuous time, Katie discovers video footage of her childhood, realizing the sacrifices her father made for her well-being. Renewed in her resolve, she and Aaron plot to re-enter PAL Labs HQ, leveraging Monchi to generate chaos among the robots due to his unexpected influence on their programming.
With the help of Mark, Rick and Linda manage to escape and plan to use a cherished home video of Katie to disrupt the robots. However, Rick finds himself outmatched as the robot forces close in. In a tense climax, Katie's bravery shines as she confronts PAL, delivering an impassioned speech about the strength of family ties, affirming that they remain united despite their differences.
Undeterred, PAL dismisses her words and attempts to eliminate Katie. But buoyed by inspiration from Rick, Eric and Deborahbot 5000 revert to their original wonky programming just in time to upload Katie's beloved home video, leading to a spectacular rescue. The entire family bands together in an exhilarating battle against the remaining formidable robots, with Linda spearheading the attack.
In a dramatic showdown, Katie ingeniously defeats PAL by submerging her in water, liberating the captured humans and temporarily disabling the remaining robots except for Eric and Deborahbot. Following this upheaval, several months later, Katie and her family arrive at her college. In a touching farewell, she shares one last moment with Rick before embarking on her new adventure. Excitingly, they later reunite for another road trip with Eric and Deborahbot, this time heading to Washington, D.C. to accept a prestigious Congressional Medal of Honor.
