I rented "Ex Machina" from iTunes this weekend, a film that came out January 2015.
Caleb is a computer programmer who wins a contest and gets to visit his employer, Nathan, for a week. Nathan reveals to him that he has created an AI, and he wants Caleb to help in a Turing Test: if a human and AI interact with one another, and the human is unaware they are talking to an AI, but in fact another human, the AI passes the test. Upon meeting Ava, the AI, it's quite apparent to Caleb that Ava is not human. Ava is an android that has the figure of a female, with fully skinned hands, feet, and a face, but reveals to have hardware for the rest of the body. Other than that, Ava seems capable in engaging in very fluent conversation, and would be unbeknownst that she was an AI. Later, Caleb notes that one shouldn't know that Ava is a machine before taking the Turing Test, but Nathan argues that the real test is whether Caleb can see her as an AI but still believe she has conscience. (Simulation vs Actual)
In the third session, Ava dons a dress, saying this is what she'd where on a date with Caleb. Ava makes note that Caleb is showing affection towards her, and that she thinks about him at night, hoping he's watching Ava on the camera. Caleb asks what the importance is of giving Ava sexuality, stating that Ava could've been a simple gray box. But Nathan argues what the purpose of two grey boxes having a conversation together if they wouldn't eventually have sex? He asks if Caleb was attracted to Ava, why is he heterosexual? Was he born that way? Did he make that decision? Nathan says whether it was through nature, nurture, or some other stimuli, Caleb was programmed to be heterosexual. He continues to say Ava wasn't specifically programmed to like Caleb. This brings up a serious reevaluation of the human conscience. There is a difference between one that simulates an action, or one that is conscious of their action. If humans can successfully create a perfect conscience from AI, then who is to say that us humans weren't given programmed a conscience, like that of the AI?
In the fourth session, Ava asks "what will happen if I fail the test, will I be switched off?" Caleb responds by saying it's not his decision: "Why should it be anyone's decision? Do you have people testing you that get to decide whether you be turned off?" This raises a question of morality: Why is it that humans, that are in fact created by other humans, are able to act independently? Is it simply because humans have their own conscience? If robots are created with their own conscience, is it still morally right for us to own them and do with them was we please?
Ive never seen this movie before but it sounds really interesting! I also agree, i think that the fear or idea of our lives being programmed or artifical is a pretty renowned one in our society. I also think that the dialogue between these two characters is a great way of representing those fears. I remember this concept bugging my siblings and I around the time we began playing the game The Sims. It's a lot different, but I remember brooding over why and how I did the things i did or what influenced me to make those decisions. So, in some ways those fears kinda pushed some good self reflection. My siblings felt similarly to me, even though the idea of being programmed still shook us up.
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