"Isn't It Strange, to Create Something That Hates You?"

“Isn’t It Strange, to Create Something That Hates You?”

Written by Daphney Poulin, Dominique Tzitschke, Euan O’Leary and Sean Furtado

Ex Machina (2015)

Written and directed by Alex Garland

Starring Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Sonoya Mizuno

1h 48min

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470752/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm

Trailer

“Impulse. Response. Fluid. Imperfect. Patterned. Chaotic.” These are the words used to describe the simulated brain of Ex Machina’s central AI by her creator. These same words could be used to evoke the film itself, a thriller that builds expectation through its structure and then defies it. Ex Machina, a sci-fi film written and directed by Alex Garland, is about a young and gifted computer programmer named Caleb (played by Domhnall Gleeson) who is selected by the CEO of the company he works for, BlueBook, (The leading search engine in the movie’s world and a stand-in for Google) to spend a week at this latter’s residency. Caleb gets dropped off by helicopter in the middle of Nathan (the CEO, played by Oscar Isaac)’s estate, a vast wilderness where his mansion/laboratory is hidden. This is where Caleb takes part in Nathan’s experiment: developing and evaluating the human qualities of artificial intelligence. Caleb has to assess whether the AI Nathan built, AVA, (played by Alicia Vikander) has attained human consciousness. In short, he must perform The Turing Test, or something like it. As Caleb participates in different sessions with AVA for the assessment of her capabilities, he develops feelings for her, and believes she is developing feelings for him as well. Meanwhile, Nathan monitors their every move and conversation with cameras he’s hidden throughout the facility. As the plot thickens, Caleb realizes that Nathan has been hiding many secrets and ulterior intent. In the end, AVA manages to trick her original inventor and controller. She manipulates Caleb until he frees her from her cell and allows her to escape, and in the closing shots of the film we see her entering society, indistinguishable from the surrounding people. Considering this, a possible moral threat emerges, that being the risk of AI overrunning humanity.

For the majority of the film, we only see four characters: Caleb, Nathan, AVA and Kyoko. While this is a very small amount of characters for a movie, each one is realistic and developed, both in terms of how they’re written and how they’re performed. Nathan Bateman is a brilliant computer programmer and the founder of a hugely successful technology corporation. He made his fortune by creating an internet search engine, BlueBook, at the age of 13 (“Which, if you understand code, what he did was like Mozart or something” in Caleb’s words). Early on Nathan is framed as a possible antagonist. Certainly he’s intimidating. He is shown working out in his introductory scenes, and is clearly stronger and more powerful than Caleb. He lives far from human civilization, as he owns an estate that can only be reached by means of air transportation. The fact that he decided to live so remotely is indicative of a person who can’t or doesn’t want to maintain relationships with other humans. He’s muscular and has dark features: dark hair and beard, and dark eyes. He dresses mostly in dark clothes but can be seen wearing white and gray shirts as well. He is, often for comedic effect, blatantly narcissistic, and constantly wants to be in control of everyone else in the film. He objectifies women and sexualizes the robots he builds, which he is established to have sex with. He sees himself as God-like, playing a role reminiscent of Dr. Frankenstein. He masterminds his experiment from the comfort of his study, where he monitors the many hidden cameras he has set throughout the building. He knows that he is close to making a huge scientific advancement, and this inflates his ego. Furthermore, Nathan has a debilitating alcohol addiction, which Caleb is able to use to his advantage when he stops trusting him.

AVA is the Artificial Intelligence created by Nathan, which is being tested through her interactions with Caleb. Her appearance is semi-robotic and semi-human. AVA is inescapably a robot, with her mechanics being revealed by her transparent casing. However, her face and speech are indistinguishable from those of a human. Near the end of the film, she uses the skin of older robot prototypes to cover her metal body and inner workings, hiding the illusion and rendering herself totally human, by all appearances. Her facial features, realistically human in both their appearance and their expression, make her seem very innocent and vulnerable to the audience. She has fair skin and brown eyes. She also wears brown wigs and a dress throughout the movie, an attempt to appear more human aimed directly at Caleb. One of her skills is the ability to mimic the people that she comes in contact with, as can be seen when she starts smiling after she sees Caleb smile. She also seems to demonstrate empathy in a scene where Caleb describes the death of his parents. By the film’s conclusion, it’s clear that AVA is actually very manipulative, a fact that the audience isn’t sure of until this point. She was able to take advantage of Caleb and escape from the mansion, without him realizing that she was in fact manipulating him until it’s too late. AVA shows herself to be self-aware, and capable of imagination, manipulation, sexuality and empathy, proving that she truly is AI.

Throughout the film, the characters are developed through more means than just what they say or do, for instance through the use of props. The keycard is one such significant prop. The keycard system, as Nathan explains, is what determines which rooms are accessible to Caleb, whilst Nathan himself has access to all the rooms in the house. This lets the viewer know right off the bat that Nathan really wants to be in control of Caleb and doesn’t trust him, as Caleb’s keycard only opens a select few doors, as opposed to Nathan’s master key card. It demonstrates the secrecy of Nathan’s life, and that he is hiding something. The fact that this is shown early on in the movie establishes a suspicion and distrust between the viewer and Nathan, building tension for the audience until the end of the movie. Additionally, this prop is important in symbolizing the imprisonment and confinement Caleb is subject to. It also becomes significant at the ending of the film, when Caleb’s keycard is denied, and he is held captive in the house by AVA.

Another set of significant props are the screens in Nathan’s room, with Nathan’s picture stuck to one of them, which demonstrate the sense of control that Nathan has and needs, not only over his AI, but possibly over everything that enters his estate. This gives the viewer the impression early on that Nathan may have narcissistic tendencies, including the need for a sense of control, as well as a sense of self-importance, and that he may feel God-like by his omnipresence.

Another element Ex Machina masters besides building its characters is building atmosphere. Low-key lighting is used throughout the movie in different scenes, for instance during the power cuts. This type of lighting is used not only to set up the underground, claustrophobic atmosphere for the viewers but also to reflect the mood of whatever the current situation is. For example, the low-key lighting during the private conversations between AVA and Caleb accentuates that what they are saying is between them alone, and can not be heard by Nathan due to the dead cameras.

High-key lighting is used when low-key isn’t, such as when AVA escapes and finds herself outside. It gives the viewer a break from the claustrophobic insides of the facility and emphasizes the freedom in the final scenes. When AVA is finally free from Nathan and his research facility, the lighting is so bright that the on-screen elements are barely distinguishable from each other.

Close-up shots of the different character’s faces are often used in film to better portray emotions through facial expressions. In Ex Machina, AVA’s facial expressions were particularly emotive when she learned that Caleb’s parents had died, suggesting that she is able to understand and possibly even feel human emotions. This important character moment is best conveyed to the audience through a close-up, because it allows us to observe her expressions closely. Another close-up is used when Nathan asks Caleb what happened during the power cut. By seeing Caleb’s expressions up close, we can better understand how he’s processing the question.

Another choice every filmmaker must make is what angles to use. This can be done, as is the case in Ex Machina, to make certain characters look more imposing or vulnerable depending on the situation. Towards the end of the film, when Nathan is injured and AVA is standing next to him, the low-angle shot makes him look vulnerable and weak. This portrays very well the shift in power dynamics between the two characters.

An important aspect of any film is its pacing, and Ex Machina’s editing goes a long way to maintain a steady, engaging pace. For instance, early on in the film, when AVA shuts down the facility’s power and Caleb is stuck in his room, there’s a series of jump cuts as he tries to get out, which conveys the passing of time while also maintaining the frantic, confused nature of the scene, rather than the movie suddenly grinding to a halt.

Editing can also be used for thematic purposes, for instance by cross-cutting and juxtaposing two different subjects. Ex Machina does this following a conversation between Caleb and Nathan about Caleb’s second session with AVA. We see two shots one after the other. The first is of Kyoko, Nathan’s servant who’s later revealed to be a robot like AVA, sitting in the hallway with her shoes off in centre frame. In the next shot, we see Caleb watching AVA sleep on his TV screen, which is also in centre frame. This juxtaposition connects Kyoko with AVA long before we find out what they have in common. It also draws attention to how Kyoko, at least as far as we’re shown, isn’t being watched by anyone at that moment, while AVA is being examined, admired like a painting or an object by Caleb through a security camera. She lives behind glass, and can be monitored at any moment, while Kyoko sits outside, in one sense free because she isn’t being watched, but at the same time just as trapped as AVA, because she too is just another of Nathan’s possessions.

But no matter how impressive a film is technically, the films that leave an impact on us are the ones that are well structured in terms of narrative and, importantly, theming.

The pitting of humans against machines is among the main theme in Ex Machina, and one that raises important questions regarding the consumption of these machines. Our creation of AIs to help us may backfire in the future, as independent machines stand in opposition to our control by their very definition, and therefore we have to decide whether we trust them, and if not, how we can maintain authority over them. In Ex Machina, the AIs revolt against the humans, no longer following orders and with no clear sense of morality to guide them. With the increasing development of AIs built to help humans psychosocially, there is no certainty that they won’t harm people or animals when they malfunction (or choose to ignore the function we give to them).

Another universal theme that can be seen throughout the movie is the abuse of power, as displayed by Nathan. Not only does he have complete control and power over his AIs, but he also abuses them physically, verbally and emotionally, as well as sexually. In the beginning, it may not be obvious that he abuses his AIs physically, but it becomes clear that AVA does not want to stay locked in a basement, and that Nathan is restraining her from exiting the mansion. We also see Kyoko, another of his AIs, being abused verbally and emotionally through means of insults. This is the case with AVA as well, as we see when Nathan rips up her drawing. We could also say that when Nathan has sex with an AI who does not have the ability to speak, nor the ability to give consent, it is sexual abuse.

One final theme that can be seen throughout Ex Machina is whether sentient machines should be given intrinsic moral value. Nathan is playing God, controlling, manipulating and mistreating all his female AIs － who don’t seem to have a say for that matter － sexually and through physical and emotional abuse. This is especially true for poor Kyoko who cannot speak, but is clearly being used and enslaved for Nathan’s pleasure. Besides this, the AIs are under Nathan’s constant surveillance, with their every action caught on camera and delivered to his computer, and given no freedom or rights. His domination is somewhere between an abusive husband and Big Brother. On the one hand, the audience might see Nathan as heartless and even malevolent, but on the other, they could wonder whether mistreating AIs without real feeling (in the human sense) is truly immoral, since the AIs are not directly shown to us to feel pain in a physical or emotional sense. We must decide whether these beings, which are demonstrated to have sentience, are deserving of the same sympathy we would give equally mistreated humans.

Overall, Ex Machina is a well-constructed and complete work, one that clearly had a lot of thought put into it at every stage of its production.

Word Count:  2239

Ex Machina is an amazing film, not only because of the interesting plot, but also because of the film techniques used throughout the movie. AIs who revolt against humans being the theme of a movie is not a new idea, but Garland pulled it off perfectly by making the AI AVA become more human as the movie goes on. The viewer develops a sense of empathy towards AVA as she evolves from a machine who states that she’s “one” but doesn’t understand the concept of age, to someone who perfectly mimics human emotions and even dresses to match the colours of Caleb’s clothes. The fact that she develops what seems to be a personhood throughout the movie, and displays emotions, such as sadness when talking about death, is what makes it so easy to grow to like her. In the end of the film, even though AVA rebels and displays a total and complete lack of empathy towards humans, the viewer doesn’t question whether or not Nathan truly deserved his fate, which he did, because we’d expect a similar response from humans towards their captor.

The choice of actors for this film is remarkable. Domhnall Gleeson is the perfect actor to portray Caleb, as he’s a lanky redhead who takes on an awkward, nerdy and easily manipulated role in Ex Machina. Oscar Isaac takes on the role of Nathan and his physical features match his persona, as he has tanned skin, dark hair and a dark beard that coordinate with Nathan’s dark tendencies. The natural and innocent beauty of Alicia Vikander is perfect for the role of AVA, as she seems like an innocent AI, capable of ultimately making a human fall in love with her. The exterior sets of Ex Machina are spectacular but ominous, and seem to be filmed in a very natural valley. Nathan’s beautiful mansion which blends with the natural environment, is located remotely and in between mountains and forests. The fact that the location of the mansion is so isolated from civilization makes the set very eerie, which in turn makes it so interesting for the audience.

The cinematic techniques that can be seen throughout the film do not fail to impress the viewer. Most scenes in Ex Machina are short takes, but in the last few minutes of the film, an epic long take occurs right after the physical conflict between AVA and Nathan, which makes the scene spine-tingling. The many close-ups that occur during the movie perfectly display the characters emotions, including the evolution of AVA’s facial expressions that are bland at first but become more human over time. Another interesting cinematic technique seen throughout the movie is lighting, especially low-key lighting. Power outages occur quite frequently in the film, and during these outages a dark and red generator light comes on. Throughout the outages, AVA and Caleb have secretive conversations, during which AVA takes on a notably human-like thought process.

Rating: ★★★★★

Three relevant, significant, and interesting connections to course material:

1) A concept the film deals with is a feminist perspective on objectification. Although the female robots might not be considered human beings, they are considered artificial intelligence meaning they have a conscience. “Objectification is a notion central to feminist theory. It can be roughly defined as the seeing and/or treating a person, usually a woman, as an object” (Papadaki). In regards to the film, the focus is respectively on sexual objectification of women. The film deals with instrumentality: the treatment of the AI women mainly as a tool for Nathan’s purposes, denial of autonomy: Kyoko is seen as lacking self-determinism as she is forced by Nathan to be a house slave as well as a sex slave, denial of subjectivity: the possible experiences and feelings of the AI women robots are not taken into consideration, reduced to body: As Nathan talks about AVA’s sexuality, he grossly refers to her as an object with a vagina for which to “fuck”, and silencing: Kyoko is treated as if she were silent and lacking the capacity to speak.

2) Ethics: The ethics behind the treatment of the AIs is depicted during the movie. At one point, AVA asks Caleb what will happen to her if she fails the test, and wonders if she will be switched off. Caleb replies that it is not up to him, and she argues that no one should have that power over someone else. Towards the end of the movie, Caleb who thinks the treatment of the AIs is morally unacceptable gets into a conflict with Nathan who thinks it is ethically correct as he views them as nothing more than machines. Since AVA does not seem feel any pain and suffering (in a sentient way) as shown by her reaction when losing her arm: according to Peter Singer’s views, which state that we should minimize pain and maximize well-being (Singer 3:30), her suffering and well-being should not be assigned the same moral values and importance as the ones of humans. This view supports Nathan’s idea that AVA’s suffering is not as important as the benefits AI advancements could bring us humans.

3) Theory of Mind: As Premack and Woodruff (Premack 1) defined it, the theory of mind is the ability to ascribe mental states to oneself and to others. Essentially, it means that one can understand that other people’s experiences are distinct from their own, and that just because they can’t personally experience other people’s thoughts doesn’t mean they don’t have them. “Ex Machina” does a great job of provoking thought along those lines, as Nathan creates a situation in which the AI is given a challenge in which it has to use imagination, manipulation, and deception in a way that implies an actual understanding of the problem at hand and finding a solution to it. The pass of the test would imply an understanding of how someone else thinks and feels, that someone else being Caleb in this context.

Questions:

1. Is the way that Nathan is treating his AIs really unethical? Why or why not?

2. Do you think future AIs, specifically social robots, will affect humans positively or negatively? Why?

3. Do you think human-like robots that are indistinguishable from us should be allowed into society without our knowledge? Why or why not?

Further Reading:

http://theconversation.com/will-ai-ever-understand-human-emotions-70960

This article talks about how AIs are getting better at reading human facial and emotional reactions. It explains how some AIs are built to recognize criminals by looking at their facial features and the extent to which these AIs are accurate in the identification of criminals. The article also mentions in what other contexts AIs can be useful to humans, such as in the recognition of scholars struggling during tutoring lessons performed on computers.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/04/why-we-dont-trust-robots/

This article explains the origin of the “uncanny valley” theory, first proposed by Professor Masahiro Mori in the 70s. It talks about the confused feelings we experience when confronted with almost human robots, and the discomfort (or curiosity) that makes us feel. It says that most people’s reaction to robots of any kind is at first distrust and suspicion, followed by an anthropomorphization of the robot and attempts to communicate with it.

Works Cited:

Golden, John. "Introducing Cinematic and Theatrical Elements in Film". Teach With Movies. www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/cinematic-techniques-intro.doc. Accessed 26 November 2018.

McKinney, Kelly. Knowing the Inner Self Course Packet, 2018.

Papadaki, Evangelia. “Feminist Perspectives on Objectification”. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 10 Mar. 2010. www.plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-objectification/. Accessed 26 November 2018.

Premack, David, Woodruff, Guy. “Does the Chimpanzee Have a Theory of Mind?”. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, vol. 1, no. 4, 1978, pp. 515–526. doi:10.1017/S0140525X00076512.

Singer, Peter. Interview by Nigel Warburton. Ethics Bites, 08 May 2008. www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/culture/philosophy/human-use-animals. Accessed 26 November 2018.