Ex Machina Group #5 draft
EX MACHINA
By: Chloe Banister, Chris Forlini, Braedon Tylbor and Carolyn Pauletto
SUMMARY
Created in 2014 by director and screenwriter Alex Garland, Ex Machina is a futuristic technologically-centered
science-fiction film starring Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and Oscar Isaac.
The roughly one hour and fifty-minute movie follows the protagonist, Caleb, through his experience at the
residence of the CEO, Nathan, of the company he works for, Blue Book, after winning a contest to work with
Nathan on a mysterious new project.
science-fiction film starring Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and Oscar Isaac.
The roughly one hour and fifty-minute movie follows the protagonist, Caleb, through his experience at the
residence of the CEO, Nathan, of the company he works for, Blue Book, after winning a contest to work with
Nathan on a mysterious new project.
The residence is located in the isolated mountains of Alaska and Caleb arrives finally to a rather empty home,
eventually meeting Nathan after wandering the spacious and silent rooms, and soon after is introduced to Kyoko,
his assistant. Nathan appears first to Caleb as welcoming and straight to the point. He has created an artificial
intelligence and wants none other than Caleb, the most gifted coder at his company, to test it out for himself.
eventually meeting Nathan after wandering the spacious and silent rooms, and soon after is introduced to Kyoko,
his assistant. Nathan appears first to Caleb as welcoming and straight to the point. He has created an artificial
intelligence and wants none other than Caleb, the most gifted coder at his company, to test it out for himself.
The Turing test, created to validate or reject a computer’s ability to behave exactly as a human would to the
point of complete homogeneity, places Caleb face to face with Nathan’s AI, Ava. What starts out as a one-sided
relationship lead by Caleb in an inquisitive approach, quickly transforms as we see Ava’s transition from a naïve,
rather reserved robot to one with a seemingly undeniable possession of sentience and capacity for wit, intellect,
remorse, and the genuine qualities that pass for a human being.
point of complete homogeneity, places Caleb face to face with Nathan’s AI, Ava. What starts out as a one-sided
relationship lead by Caleb in an inquisitive approach, quickly transforms as we see Ava’s transition from a naïve,
rather reserved robot to one with a seemingly undeniable possession of sentience and capacity for wit, intellect,
remorse, and the genuine qualities that pass for a human being.
However, things take a sudden turn when Ava unexpectedly catches Caleb off guard with a rather ambiguous warning
against Nathan and his intentions. Following this event, Caleb grows increasingly suspicious of Nathan as his
character starts to reveals alcoholic tendencies among other disturbing truths surrounding him, his project,
and even his assistant, Kyoko.
against Nathan and his intentions. Following this event, Caleb grows increasingly suspicious of Nathan as his
character starts to reveals alcoholic tendencies among other disturbing truths surrounding him, his project,
and even his assistant, Kyoko.
Reaching the climax of the film, sickened by the lies he has been told, Caleb agrees to free Ava from
Nathan’s grip in the hopes that they can be free together, as Ava has convinced him. Blinded perhaps by his
love for her, Caleb failed to recognize in time that Nathan was not the only one preoccupied with ulterior
intentions. In a dramatic last scene, she leaves her creator dead within his residence and Caleb trapped
within its walls while she takes her first steps outside towards her highly anticipated immersion into the
human experience.
Nathan’s grip in the hopes that they can be free together, as Ava has convinced him. Blinded perhaps by his
love for her, Caleb failed to recognize in time that Nathan was not the only one preoccupied with ulterior
intentions. In a dramatic last scene, she leaves her creator dead within his residence and Caleb trapped
within its walls while she takes her first steps outside towards her highly anticipated immersion into the
human experience.
WEB LINKS
TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoQuVnKhxaM
Artificial Intelligence: Gods, egos, and Ex Machina
Robbins, Martin. “Artificial Intelligence: Gods, Egos and Ex Machina.” The Guardian, Guardian News and
Media, 26 Jan. 2016, www.theguardian.com/science/the-lay-scientist/2016/jan/26/artificial-
intelligence-gods-egos-and-ex-machina
Media, 26 Jan. 2016, www.theguardian.com/science/the-lay-scientist/2016/jan/26/artificial-
intelligence-gods-egos-and-ex-machina
This article explores the narcissistic qualities of research into artificial intelligence and its
implication that in creating such, it “is both desirable and some sort of ultimate achievement”
(Robbins). It describes how the film’s theme(s) supports the human need to feed the ego through
the assumption that we as humans “created God in our image”, as we are doing so in the creation
of artificial intelligence. Robbins goes on further to say our culture has adopted this obsession
with the idea of singularity, the “super human era” (Robbins) in which humans hold these divine
beings’ utmost interest, and relates that to Ava’s one desire to observe humans upfront.
The article goes on to denounce the arrogance of such an assumption that humans would remain
still the focus of attention and praises Ex Machina’s commentaries of the inflated, god-like human ego.
implication that in creating such, it “is both desirable and some sort of ultimate achievement”
(Robbins). It describes how the film’s theme(s) supports the human need to feed the ego through
the assumption that we as humans “created God in our image”, as we are doing so in the creation
of artificial intelligence. Robbins goes on further to say our culture has adopted this obsession
with the idea of singularity, the “super human era” (Robbins) in which humans hold these divine
beings’ utmost interest, and relates that to Ava’s one desire to observe humans upfront.
The article goes on to denounce the arrogance of such an assumption that humans would remain
still the focus of attention and praises Ex Machina’s commentaries of the inflated, god-like human ego.
Ex Machina’s Hidden Meaning
Flesh, Logos Made. “Ex Machina's Hidden Meaning.” YouTube, YouTube, 21 July 2018,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V85VqlVptWM.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V85VqlVptWM.
This eight minute and eighteen second video is all about Ex Machina’s focus on humanity and our
relationship to God. The video refers to multiple references made out to Christianity throughout the film, for
example Ava being a variant of the name Eve, and the allusion to the seven days of creation in which the film takes place.
Ultimately, we have Nathan as a stand in for God, and Ava who begs Caleb to doubt his authority. The video goes on to t
alk about Nietzsche’s death of God philosophy, references to Alice Through the Looking Glass, as well as Plato’s
Allegory of the Cave in relation to the film.
relationship to God. The video refers to multiple references made out to Christianity throughout the film, for
example Ava being a variant of the name Eve, and the allusion to the seven days of creation in which the film takes place.
Ultimately, we have Nathan as a stand in for God, and Ava who begs Caleb to doubt his authority. The video goes on to t
alk about Nietzsche’s death of God philosophy, references to Alice Through the Looking Glass, as well as Plato’s
Allegory of the Cave in relation to the film.
THREE INTERESTING/PROVOCATIVE QUESTIONS
1) Did Ava genuinely care and hold an interest for Caleb, or was he, as Nathan put it, simply a means of escape for her by
using “self-awareness, imagination, manipulation, sexuality, empathy”? If so, is this in fact proof of a legitimate AI?
using “self-awareness, imagination, manipulation, sexuality, empathy”? If so, is this in fact proof of a legitimate AI?
2) How can we distinguish between a true consciousness and a simulated consciousness, In the movie they bring up this
question in regards to Ava and trying to see if she is just simulating consciousness or if she truly has it, but if a robot can
perfectly simulate consciousness how are we as humans supposed to tell the difference? And if we cannot then what truly
makes a consciousness, if a robot can perfectly replicate one without truly having it what does it even mean to truly have one?
Is a perfectly replicated simulated consciousness a real consciousness?
question in regards to Ava and trying to see if she is just simulating consciousness or if she truly has it, but if a robot can
perfectly simulate consciousness how are we as humans supposed to tell the difference? And if we cannot then what truly
makes a consciousness, if a robot can perfectly replicate one without truly having it what does it even mean to truly have one?
Is a perfectly replicated simulated consciousness a real consciousness?
3) Is it morally right to allow people the right to control robots who have consciousness or what appears to be a
consciousness, what line to we draw when it comes to giving individuals rights, if we as a society agree that the robot
has a consciousness should we give it the same rights to life and freedom as a human or because they were created
for our personal gain should we continue to use them as such?
consciousness, what line to we draw when it comes to giving individuals rights, if we as a society agree that the robot
has a consciousness should we give it the same rights to life and freedom as a human or because they were created
for our personal gain should we continue to use them as such?
5 FILM TECHNIQUES
Costumes
Nathan Bateman’s costume speaks volumes as to who his character is. Since he is a CEO of a large company, you
would think that he would be wearing suits all the time, even in his home. He, in fact, wears the opposite. Nathan wears
a lot of t-shirts, tank tops, long sleeve shirts, sweat pants and shorts, all of which have a very neutral palette. The way that
this character dresses shows how he is very much relaxed and not very business oriented even though he owns a company
and lives in a large mansion. This can also make it seem that Nathan doesn’t take his job too seriously, and they also wanted
to make his character seem more relatable so you can sympathize with him and understand him more.
Ava’s costume when
she puts on human clothes and a wig demonstrates how more life like she could look because she wasn’t in her robot form.
She wears a dress, socks, shoes and a short brown wig. When Ava is dressed like this more so throughout the second half
of the film, the costume shows how she is starting to be seen more as a human by Caleb. The costume also shows how
innocent Ava looks when she dresses like that which can make the audience like her more since she looks more life like
and less like a robot. It makes it so we start feeling bad for Ava too since she looks just like us.
Costumes
Nathan Bateman’s costume speaks volumes as to who his character is. Since he is a CEO of a large company, you
would think that he would be wearing suits all the time, even in his home. He, in fact, wears the opposite. Nathan wears
a lot of t-shirts, tank tops, long sleeve shirts, sweat pants and shorts, all of which have a very neutral palette. The way that
this character dresses shows how he is very much relaxed and not very business oriented even though he owns a company
and lives in a large mansion. This can also make it seem that Nathan doesn’t take his job too seriously, and they also wanted
to make his character seem more relatable so you can sympathize with him and understand him more.
Ava’s costume when
she puts on human clothes and a wig demonstrates how more life like she could look because she wasn’t in her robot form.
She wears a dress, socks, shoes and a short brown wig. When Ava is dressed like this more so throughout the second half
of the film, the costume shows how she is starting to be seen more as a human by Caleb. The costume also shows how
innocent Ava looks when she dresses like that which can make the audience like her more since she looks more life like
and less like a robot. It makes it so we start feeling bad for Ava too since she looks just like us.
Sets, Props, and costumes
In Ex Machina, the entire movie takes place in only one location, Nathan's house. It is very apparent from the beginning
that this isn’t a typical house even for a billionaire. It is a very big house with a lot of security as well as glass panels as
well as being surrounded by miles of unused private property. As well, many of the rooms are underground and have no
window at all. This is to isolate the humans from the robots and keep his work a secret. Nathan even describes his
house as the facility, something most people wouldn’t describe their house as. It adds overall to the movie because it
shows how trapped the robots are in Nathan's house and how they are seen as science experiments and not humans as
well as it is a hint to the twist of the movie where Caleb was actually apart of the experiment the whole time.
He was just as trapped and monitored as the robots and his room reflects this.
A type of prop that is used a lot throughout the film is the security key cards. Nathan has the master key card that
could get into any room while Caleb has one that can only get into certain rooms. They keep cards are a big part of Ex Machina
because it is a big catalyst for many parts of the movie. Caleb wanders off initially when his key card
doesn’t work when the power goes out, Caleb steals Nathan’s key card to help Ava escape and Caleb’s
key card’s inability to open certain doors is the ultimate demise of Caleb as at the end of the movie he is unable to escape.
An interesting costume in Ex Machina is Kyoko costume. What makes this costume so unique is that it consists of
her clothes as well as her skin since she can off her skin and is not a permanent part of her as we see when she reveals
she is a robot to Caleb. It is an important costume because this costume is used to disguise Kyoko as a human while in
reality, she is a robot. This is to deceive Caleb so that he does not question why a robot is being used as a servant.
In Ex Machina, the entire movie takes place in only one location, Nathan's house. It is very apparent from the beginning
that this isn’t a typical house even for a billionaire. It is a very big house with a lot of security as well as glass panels as
well as being surrounded by miles of unused private property. As well, many of the rooms are underground and have no
window at all. This is to isolate the humans from the robots and keep his work a secret. Nathan even describes his
house as the facility, something most people wouldn’t describe their house as. It adds overall to the movie because it
shows how trapped the robots are in Nathan's house and how they are seen as science experiments and not humans as
well as it is a hint to the twist of the movie where Caleb was actually apart of the experiment the whole time.
He was just as trapped and monitored as the robots and his room reflects this.
A type of prop that is used a lot throughout the film is the security key cards. Nathan has the master key card that
could get into any room while Caleb has one that can only get into certain rooms. They keep cards are a big part of Ex Machina
because it is a big catalyst for many parts of the movie. Caleb wanders off initially when his key card
doesn’t work when the power goes out, Caleb steals Nathan’s key card to help Ava escape and Caleb’s
key card’s inability to open certain doors is the ultimate demise of Caleb as at the end of the movie he is unable to escape.
An interesting costume in Ex Machina is Kyoko costume. What makes this costume so unique is that it consists of
her clothes as well as her skin since she can off her skin and is not a permanent part of her as we see when she reveals
she is a robot to Caleb. It is an important costume because this costume is used to disguise Kyoko as a human while in
reality, she is a robot. This is to deceive Caleb so that he does not question why a robot is being used as a servant.
3) Lighting
One type of lighting that was used in Ex Machina was the red lighting that appeared when there was a power outage.
This typeof lighting appeared mostly during Caleb’s sessions with Ava. Instead of turning black completely,
the lighting became red signifying danger possibly. Since we find out later in the movie that Nathan is still
able to see what Caleb and Ava say to each other when they think no one is watching, the red lighting is a good
metaphor that they should be weary of what they say.
Nathan’s house in the movie always seems to be very dim and t
he use of bright light is not used very often. This signifies how Nathan’s house is suspicious and bleak making it a place
you wouldn’t want to stay there very long. This lighting also reflects onto Nathan’s character since he himself is very
suspicious and mysterious.
One type of lighting that was used in Ex Machina was the red lighting that appeared when there was a power outage.
This typeof lighting appeared mostly during Caleb’s sessions with Ava. Instead of turning black completely,
the lighting became red signifying danger possibly. Since we find out later in the movie that Nathan is still
able to see what Caleb and Ava say to each other when they think no one is watching, the red lighting is a good
metaphor that they should be weary of what they say.
Nathan’s house in the movie always seems to be very dim and t
he use of bright light is not used very often. This signifies how Nathan’s house is suspicious and bleak making it a place
you wouldn’t want to stay there very long. This lighting also reflects onto Nathan’s character since he himself is very
suspicious and mysterious.
4) Framing
Long Shot: In the very beginning of the film when Caleb is standing in a huge field surrounded by trees and mountains,
it shows the secludedly of where he is going. It probably wasn’t somewhere he was expecting to go but this helps
to reflect on how secretive Nathan is about his technology and how he doesn’t want the rest of society to know
what he is up to.
Close Up: In the fourth session with Ava, when the power gets shut off, the camera does a close up
of Ava and Caleb’s faces. This helps heighten the fact that we find out that Ava is the one who can cut off the power
and as the audience, we realize that this could be to the characters benefits later on in the movie. The close up shot
makes it so that we know that what the characters are saying are important and should be payed attention to.
Long Shot: In the very beginning of the film when Caleb is standing in a huge field surrounded by trees and mountains,
it shows the secludedly of where he is going. It probably wasn’t somewhere he was expecting to go but this helps
to reflect on how secretive Nathan is about his technology and how he doesn’t want the rest of society to know
what he is up to.
Close Up: In the fourth session with Ava, when the power gets shut off, the camera does a close up
of Ava and Caleb’s faces. This helps heighten the fact that we find out that Ava is the one who can cut off the power
and as the audience, we realize that this could be to the characters benefits later on in the movie. The close up shot
makes it so that we know that what the characters are saying are important and should be payed attention to.
5) Special Effects
An in interesting special effect was when Kyoko peels off her skin near the end of the film to show
Caleb that she is not human. This was really cool since you got to see that underneath Kyoko’s “skin”
was her body that looked like Ava’s. This discovery helps progress the film since its when Caleb discovers
that Ava isn’t the only robot living in Nathan’s house.
The second special effect in this movie that was interesting
was when Nathan was showing Caleb what Ava’s brain looks like. Once we got an overhead shot of the “brain”
you could see all the detail and the editors somehow made it look as if what Nathan was holding was quite heavy.
This is pivotal to the movie because Caleb and the audience is able to understand how Ava is programmed and how
there is more than just one of these “brains” so clearly Nathan has more than just one robot.
An in interesting special effect was when Kyoko peels off her skin near the end of the film to show
Caleb that she is not human. This was really cool since you got to see that underneath Kyoko’s “skin”
was her body that looked like Ava’s. This discovery helps progress the film since its when Caleb discovers
that Ava isn’t the only robot living in Nathan’s house.
The second special effect in this movie that was interesting
was when Nathan was showing Caleb what Ava’s brain looks like. Once we got an overhead shot of the “brain”
you could see all the detail and the editors somehow made it look as if what Nathan was holding was quite heavy.
This is pivotal to the movie because Caleb and the audience is able to understand how Ava is programmed and how
there is more than just one of these “brains” so clearly Nathan has more than just one robot.
3 UNIVERSAL THEMES
- Human vs. Machine
The first universal theme of Ex-Machina is Human vs. Machine. In this movie, Caleb is introduced to
Ava who is the robot and he is being tested to see if he could see Ava as having a conscious, just like a real human.
As the sessions go on with Ava, Caleb starts to fall in love with Ava because he starts to feel sympathy for her and wants
to help her. This shows the theme of human vs. machine since Caleb’s conflict with Ava is he decides to help her even
though she isn’t real. He becomes blind to the consequences if he releases Ava from her room because he is in love with
her and this shows how the machine starts to overpower the human. In the end, Ava is the one who escapes Nathan’s
mansion instead of Caleb, thus showing how destructing Ava can be and how she won over Caleb. In this movie, it isn’t the
human who wins the story, it’s the machine since Ava wasn’t destroyed and she is the one who took over Caleb’s place in the
helicopter and escapes.
Ava who is the robot and he is being tested to see if he could see Ava as having a conscious, just like a real human.
As the sessions go on with Ava, Caleb starts to fall in love with Ava because he starts to feel sympathy for her and wants
to help her. This shows the theme of human vs. machine since Caleb’s conflict with Ava is he decides to help her even
though she isn’t real. He becomes blind to the consequences if he releases Ava from her room because he is in love with
her and this shows how the machine starts to overpower the human. In the end, Ava is the one who escapes Nathan’s
mansion instead of Caleb, thus showing how destructing Ava can be and how she won over Caleb. In this movie, it isn’t the
human who wins the story, it’s the machine since Ava wasn’t destroyed and she is the one who took over Caleb’s place in the
helicopter and escapes.
2) One can’t dominate over another
The second universal theme of Ex-Machina is that one being can’t dominate over another being. Throughout the movie,
we see Nathan trying to dominate over the AI. He designs his house to be a literal prison for Ava so she can’t roam around,
he constantly monitors his experiment, he has no problem disposing of old models of AI and even going as far as whipping
their minds clean if they’re obsolete. This is all with the goal to dominate over his creation. Nathan knew what he was creating
and sees himself as a god, therefore he felt higher than the AI. He believed he had to right to dominate over them and use
them for profit as he explained he planned on selling them a year after Caleb’s visit. This mentality was Nathan’s demise as
Ava and Kyoko overthrew him in the climax of the movie. Therefore, a universal theme of Ex-Machina is that one can’t
dominate other another being and it is foolish to think that one can.
we see Nathan trying to dominate over the AI. He designs his house to be a literal prison for Ava so she can’t roam around,
he constantly monitors his experiment, he has no problem disposing of old models of AI and even going as far as whipping
their minds clean if they’re obsolete. This is all with the goal to dominate over his creation. Nathan knew what he was creating
and sees himself as a god, therefore he felt higher than the AI. He believed he had to right to dominate over them and use
them for profit as he explained he planned on selling them a year after Caleb’s visit. This mentality was Nathan’s demise as
Ava and Kyoko overthrew him in the climax of the movie. Therefore, a universal theme of Ex-Machina is that one can’t
dominate other another being and it is foolish to think that one can.
3) Never underestimate someone
The final universal theme of Ex Machina is to never underestimate someone, especially your enemy.
When Nathan explains to Caleb how Ava’s mind works, he says that she gets her information from all the searches
that real people make on Blue Book. Since it is stated that Blue Book makes up the majority of the world's total web
searches, Ava is constantly getting tons of information that she is processing and learning from. This means that Ava
has no limit for what she can learn and process. However, Nathan believes throughout the movie that he is smarter
than his AI and understands how they think. He explains this to Caleb when he reveals what the real test has been
all along. He even says that Ava has a tendency to lie and tries to manipulate people and essentially breaks down
Ava’s thought pattern. However, Ava proved Nathan wrong in that he can’t and doesn’t know her thought pattern
when she overthrew him with Kyoko and killed him.
When Nathan explains to Caleb how Ava’s mind works, he says that she gets her information from all the searches
that real people make on Blue Book. Since it is stated that Blue Book makes up the majority of the world's total web
searches, Ava is constantly getting tons of information that she is processing and learning from. This means that Ava
has no limit for what she can learn and process. However, Nathan believes throughout the movie that he is smarter
than his AI and understands how they think. He explains this to Caleb when he reveals what the real test has been
all along. He even says that Ava has a tendency to lie and tries to manipulate people and essentially breaks down
Ava’s thought pattern. However, Ava proved Nathan wrong in that he can’t and doesn’t know her thought pattern
when she overthrew him with Kyoko and killed him.
2014 words
(STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES)
Strengths:
Cinematic Techniques, the movie does a great job of setting the scene throughout the movie, the long distance shots of
Nathan’s property and the extravagance of having Caleb fly in on a helicopter really showed the lengths Nathan was
willing to go to maintain his privacy and the money he was willing to spend on himself. Another interesting technique
was the idea that Nathan lived in a secluded part of the world very natural surrounded by forest and mountain at the same
time was developing some of the most advanced technology in the world in his house outside. The contrasts of these
two ideas made it so you had to realize that there was a deeper meaning because of how obvious it was.
There was also a lot of foreshadowing in the movie for example when caleb goes to the interrogation room and notices
the crack in the glass but is never given an explanation why, another is in the beginning of the movie when
caleb first walks into the house the camera is behind caleb as he walks in and stops as the doors creeps closed
slowly on Caleb locking him in and for shadowing how he is going to be stuck there.
Ava’s whole character does a good job of making you sympathise with her and and convince you that
maybe she is a conscious being or even a human while at the same time leaving you with second thoughts about
her motives when her and Caleb start to collude against Nathan and snaps you out of it realizing that she is still a
robot trapped and being tested and refuses to be controlled. For example W\when her and Caleb would have their
unmonitored time when Ava would shut off the power and when Caleb came up with the plan to break her out and
Ava was egging him on.
Cinematic Techniques, the movie does a great job of setting the scene throughout the movie, the long distance shots of
Nathan’s property and the extravagance of having Caleb fly in on a helicopter really showed the lengths Nathan was
willing to go to maintain his privacy and the money he was willing to spend on himself. Another interesting technique
was the idea that Nathan lived in a secluded part of the world very natural surrounded by forest and mountain at the same
time was developing some of the most advanced technology in the world in his house outside. The contrasts of these
two ideas made it so you had to realize that there was a deeper meaning because of how obvious it was.
There was also a lot of foreshadowing in the movie for example when caleb goes to the interrogation room and notices
the crack in the glass but is never given an explanation why, another is in the beginning of the movie when
caleb first walks into the house the camera is behind caleb as he walks in and stops as the doors creeps closed
slowly on Caleb locking him in and for shadowing how he is going to be stuck there.
Ava’s whole character does a good job of making you sympathise with her and and convince you that
maybe she is a conscious being or even a human while at the same time leaving you with second thoughts about
her motives when her and Caleb start to collude against Nathan and snaps you out of it realizing that she is still a
robot trapped and being tested and refuses to be controlled. For example W\when her and Caleb would have their
unmonitored time when Ava would shut off the power and when Caleb came up with the plan to break her out and
Ava was egging him on.
Weaknesses:
No character motivation, why was Nathan doing all of this at all, it’s never explained in the movie, the lack of a
character's motivation leaves us with less of a connection to the character and less development of said character.
Were left hanging and having to come up with our own hypotheses of why someone would go through all the effort to
create something as complex as Ava and why he would do it alone, it doesn’t make sense that one man can master all
areas of this technology and by himself in a secluded mountain area create a “living” “conscious” being.
The actual idea of consciousness never fully explained, in the movie when Nathan and Caleb talk about how Ava could pass for conscious
they said she just needed to pass the Turing test, and ramble on for a couple of minutes of what it means. When in reality
passing the turing test is just being convinced something has consciousness which is just simulated consciousness not a real
consciousness. I feel as though this is a weak point in the movie because we’re left wondering what are they actually doing
to prove that she does, there’s no goal it’s just, talk with Ava and come up with a conclusion on your, own based on a set of
criteria you have in your own head, that is never specified in the movie.
CONNECTION TO COURSE MATERIAL (3)
1) Throughout the film, an important concept that is brought up is what is known as Theory of Mind. This is explained as the
“ability to attribute mental states and to use these invisible postulates to explain behaviour in everyday life.” (McKinney).
Because mental states are not actually tangible nor are they observable, it referred to as a theory. In other words, applying
Theory of Mind implies that the subject is capable of imagining where the other subject’s mental state lies and where their
own mental state lies, and using this information to predict certain behaviours and basing their actions on these predictions.
“ability to attribute mental states and to use these invisible postulates to explain behaviour in everyday life.” (McKinney).
Because mental states are not actually tangible nor are they observable, it referred to as a theory. In other words, applying
Theory of Mind implies that the subject is capable of imagining where the other subject’s mental state lies and where their
own mental state lies, and using this information to predict certain behaviours and basing their actions on these predictions.
In Ex Machina, Ava is shown to possess this specific skill as she is capable of putting herself into Caleb’s
mind in order to decide how to act, what questions to ask, and how to answer. She is aware that she is trapped,
and she is also aware that Caleb is effectively her only way out. Through Theory of Mind, she imagines that
Caleb must be lonely and craving some sort of attention, so she uses her seductive ways, knowledge of human
interaction and her position as an attractive female-robot who is unique and intriguing to manipulate him into
freeing her. Every single action taken by Ava was based on her calculations and predictions of Caleb and Nathan’s
behaviour, and this is exactly what Theory of Mind consists of.
mind in order to decide how to act, what questions to ask, and how to answer. She is aware that she is trapped,
and she is also aware that Caleb is effectively her only way out. Through Theory of Mind, she imagines that
Caleb must be lonely and craving some sort of attention, so she uses her seductive ways, knowledge of human
interaction and her position as an attractive female-robot who is unique and intriguing to manipulate him into
freeing her. Every single action taken by Ava was based on her calculations and predictions of Caleb and Nathan’s
behaviour, and this is exactly what Theory of Mind consists of.
2) We read an article for the class called “Why Westerners Fear Robots and the Japanese Do Not” that discussed the
differences of western and eastern cultures in integrating and accepting robots as a society. In the article it talks about how the
western culture has issues pertaining to the idea of non-human animals having spirits and doesn’t take kindly to when robots
or other objects are anthropomorphised. The main contributor to this narrative is the difference in religions between our two
cultures, because in the the judeo-christian religion (the main religion in western culture) humans are supposed to be unique
and created in the image of god, this results in a fear or distaste for objects or non-human animals such as robots that have
human like characteristics or said to have consciousness, like we talked about in class this is when a robot or NHA would
cross the uncanny valley and become repulsive to us in western culture. (McKinney, Test Study Guide for Robots and AI
Material for Test 2). This is why in a movie such as Ex Machina, which is created by westerners, there is a general feel of
dystopia throughout the whole movie, just to give a few examples, the simple fact that Ava was locked away in a cage the
entirety of her existence and never to be let out just emphasizes the fear we have for these kinds of beings overthrowing humans.
differences of western and eastern cultures in integrating and accepting robots as a society. In the article it talks about how the
western culture has issues pertaining to the idea of non-human animals having spirits and doesn’t take kindly to when robots
or other objects are anthropomorphised. The main contributor to this narrative is the difference in religions between our two
cultures, because in the the judeo-christian religion (the main religion in western culture) humans are supposed to be unique
and created in the image of god, this results in a fear or distaste for objects or non-human animals such as robots that have
human like characteristics or said to have consciousness, like we talked about in class this is when a robot or NHA would
cross the uncanny valley and become repulsive to us in western culture. (McKinney, Test Study Guide for Robots and AI
Material for Test 2). This is why in a movie such as Ex Machina, which is created by westerners, there is a general feel of
dystopia throughout the whole movie, just to give a few examples, the simple fact that Ava was locked away in a cage the
entirety of her existence and never to be let out just emphasizes the fear we have for these kinds of beings overthrowing humans.
3) Sentience is described as a “subjective perceptual experience” (McKinney, Knowing the Inner Self, p.3). “It feels pain
or suffers or feels pleasure, for example. It is capable of sensing and responding to the world and can experience ‘qualia’” (p.3).
Qualia is essentially the quality of the experience The main issue pertaining to sentience is whether or not the subject in question
reacting to a stimuli actually feel the pain or the pleasure. Is it simply an automaton predetermined to automatically react to such
stimuli or is the subject actually experiencing, feeling. As it mentions in the course pack on page 3, this is both a biological
and philosophical question (McKinney).
or suffers or feels pleasure, for example. It is capable of sensing and responding to the world and can experience ‘qualia’” (p.3).
Qualia is essentially the quality of the experience The main issue pertaining to sentience is whether or not the subject in question
reacting to a stimuli actually feel the pain or the pleasure. Is it simply an automaton predetermined to automatically react to such
stimuli or is the subject actually experiencing, feeling. As it mentions in the course pack on page 3, this is both a biological
and philosophical question (McKinney).
In the film, there is the big question of whether or not Ava possesses consciousness, but whether or not Ava is a s
entient being is equally addressed throughout the film. For example, there is the story of Mary in the Black and
White Room. Mary is a scientist who studies color and any and every property they have, but she is confined to
a black and white room. Mary knows how the body and the senses react to such colors, but has never actually
experienced them, has never felt them. Once she leaves the room, once Mary steps outside of her black and
white box, she will experience qualia. Like Mary, Ava is also confined, and while one may suspect that she
experiences certain feelings within the residence, she is ultimately searching for a greater experience,
outside of the “black and white box”. She is finally given this moment as she takes her first steps outside and gazes
up at the sky.
entient being is equally addressed throughout the film. For example, there is the story of Mary in the Black and
White Room. Mary is a scientist who studies color and any and every property they have, but she is confined to
a black and white room. Mary knows how the body and the senses react to such colors, but has never actually
experienced them, has never felt them. Once she leaves the room, once Mary steps outside of her black and
white box, she will experience qualia. Like Mary, Ava is also confined, and while one may suspect that she
experiences certain feelings within the residence, she is ultimately searching for a greater experience,
outside of the “black and white box”. She is finally given this moment as she takes her first steps outside and gazes
up at the sky.
WHAT WE RATE THE FILM OUT OF 5 STARS
WORK CITED
“Ex Machina.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 21 Jan. 2015, www.imdb.com/title/tt0470752/.
Robbins, Martin. “Artificial Intelligence: Gods, Egos and Ex Machina.” The Guardian, Guardian News and
Media, 26 Jan. 2016, www.theguardian.com/science/the-lay-scientist/2016/jan/26/artificial-
intelligence-gods-egos-and-ex-machina
Media, 26 Jan. 2016, www.theguardian.com/science/the-lay-scientist/2016/jan/26/artificial-
intelligence-gods-egos-and-ex-machina
Flesh, Logos Made. “Ex Machina's Hidden Meaning.” YouTube, YouTube, 21 July 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=V85VqlVptWM.
To answer your first question, I believe that Ava not only cared only for herself, but was simply programmed that way. She was being held captive in a room where she knew her time was almost up because Nathan was planning to recreate a better version of her. It’s as if Ava was a intellectually superior human being but with the same amount of survival instinct as a human. She also doesn’t have many years of experience in this world and simply goes with what she knows, which is a lot. So, my answer is that I think she might have genuinely liked Caleb but her instinct of survival was just far too strong. Ava used many concepts during this process like it was stated in the question : self-awareness, imagination, manipulation, sexuality and empathy. She used all of her knowledge to her advantage to free herself from Nathan. I would argue that this in fact proves Ava to be considered a legitimate A.I.
ReplyDelete-Jonathan Holm
To address your second question, my position would be to assert that a perfectly replicated simulated consciousness would be no different from what you call a real consciousness. Consciousness is a state where one is able to sense and perceive. Ava is what you would assert to be a perfectly replicated simulated consciousness she is able to sense, perceive, and interact with the outside world in many complex ways as in convincing Caleb to get her out of her imprisonment. That not only shows an aptitude to sense and interact with the outside world but an inner will to freedom that she holds which drives her. This fits well the definition we attribute to consciousness and if something fits a definition, we have no choice but to accept it as a fact unless if we wish to modify the definition itself.
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