Steampunk Granny's Take on Ex Machina

                                                              

                                       

I love robots and, I love films about artificial intelligence. I wrote about my love of robots is an earlier post here. Is it possible for a robot to surpass humans? Would they also exhibit a will to survive?  I was especially interested in watching Ex Machina because I have a similar plot going on with one of my characters in my Roof Oasis apocalyptic series, but we’ll talk about her at the end of this film review.

Ex Machina is a British science fiction thriller written and directed by author & screenwriter, Alex Garland. The film stars Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander and Oscar Isaac.

Plot

Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson, a computer programmer working for the world’s most popular search engine company is chosen in a company lottery to meet and assist the company’s CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac).  The quiet and reserved Caleb is flown to the CEO’s secluded mountain hideaway to assist in a project.
                                                           

Everything is about the project is top secret and to move through Nathan’s home, Caleb has to use a swipe card. There is only one other person there, a young Japanese woman named Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno) that Nathan speaks to in a disrespectful manner.

                                                     

Nathan is a cocky genius who spends most of his time lifting weights and getting drunk.  Nathan wants Caleb to perform the Turing test on a humanoid robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander). The Turing test is used to research a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from that of a human. Would Ava be able to generate enough human-like responses to pass the test?

Conclusion

Over the next few days Caleb gradually develops a friendship with Ava who is exhibiting real human emotions. During one of the sessions Ava asks Caleb what will happen if she fails the test. Ava wants to survive, but if she fails the test, her memories will be erased and a new and improved artificial version will take her place.

I won’t go any further with this review because I want you to see the film. The premise of Ex Machina is thought provoking and, I find myself connecting the consequences of cloning and artificial intelligence. Cloning and humanoid robots are both possibilities that can create a moral dilemma that must be dealt with by the Supreme Court.  

What rights will cloned people have in a society that wants them only for their body parts? What rights do humanoid robots have after they’ve been given the ability to think and feel emotions just like a human? The human race has failed miserably in caring for the fauna and flora that share this world with us. We have shown a callous lack of concern for fellow humans in the wars that we rage. Do you really believe we would do better with a cloned person? 

What would happen to us if machines evolved past the three laws of robotics? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Laws_of_Robotics

                                                         

In my Roof Oasis apocalyptic series, there is a robotic character named Patty that started out as a child’s companion, but in the second book, Saving Solanda which will be released this summer, is now exhibiting actions that deal with this very topic. When we take that huge step into the realm of creators with either clones or intelligent robots, we face the reality that our creations might consider us, primitive and prime candidates for extinction.

Go see the film! Roof Oasis can be purchased on Amazon and Kindle.

 

My Love Affair with Robots

                                                                 

The very first robot I remember seeing was at Lit Brothers’ Department Store during the Christmas holiday around the year 1950. I was about four years old and Jane was almost three. My parents, the famous Fred and Lucy, had taken my sister and I to see Santa. We stood in a long line of parents and children that moved at snail speed around the different departments of the store, including the toy section.

Finally, it was my family's turn to enter the inner sanctum that held the red throne and good ole Santa. Right before we walked through the door, my gaze fell upon a very strange toy nestled in with the various sizes of baby dolls and teddy bears. It was a metal man. It had an antenna sticking out of the top of its head.

"I want that," I said to Fred. He was tugging me towards the man with the white beard, but I dug my heels into the rug and pointed at the table. "I want that," I repeated.

"Ask Santa," Fred said.

I did ask Santa for the metal man, but that Christmas morning, metal man was a no show. Fortunately, one of my cousins received a robot for his birthday that summer and I was allowed to play with it. It was a great toy, but it couldn't fly. Anthony and I figured this out after we dropped it from the second story window. Oops!

                                                                  

Robby

The year was 1956. I was taking my sister Jane and brother Michael to the  creature double feature matinee at our neighborhood theatre. The youngest, Lucy, was too little to tag along. My siblings and I had boloney sandwiches in the brown paper bags that we carried. After buying our popcorn for the food fight, we settled into our seats to watch Forbidden Planet.

                                                                

As soon as Robby the Robot came onto scene, my love affair with robots began in earnest. This robot could move and talk and fight bad people. I wanted one and so did my brother Michael, but Christmas was months away. What could we do in the meantime?

Fred had loads of cardboard boxes from the stock he bought every week for our grocery store. I'll have to admit, we kids were quite inventive. We pilfered a few rolls of aluminum foil from the stock room to cover the boxes. Wire hangers were used as our robot's antenna. Knobs were whisked away from all the bedroom furniture to make great control buttons, that is, until  mom made us put them back.

On Christmas morning, Michael got his robot, which I'm pretty sure was a duplicate of Robby, but all I got were more stupid baby dolls. My mother could not understand my fascination with robots.

Robots have become a  welcomed staple in many a science fiction film and I have loved every one of them, even the scary ones like Hector from Saturn 3.

                                                                  

I still love robots. The world of robotics is here and it's amazing what they can do now. We have Nano robots, space robots, helper robots. Check out this site for more: http://www.roboticstoday.com/  and http://www.popsci.com/tags/military-robots

We've come a long way since Robby and that's the way it should be. Robots can be used in dangerous situations, helping to keep people from harm. Can robots take over the world; take over us? I doubt it, but if we don't stop trying to blow up the planet, they might have to.

                                                                  

I've published my first book in an apocalyptic series called Roof Oasis. I've included a robot as part of the story. Her name is Patty. She starts out as a child's companion in book one. In book two, Saving Solanda, which will come out this summer, Patty is evolving; becoming self aware.

                                                                    

She's quite demanding and I have no idea what trouble she'll get into by the time book three and four are finished.

 

 

News from the Dark Side, 8/9/2013

                                                                 

Okay, my little zombie snacks. I love everything science: space exploration, robotics, genetics. I'm a Geek at heart. Here are some fun sites, and yes, some weird news.



http://youtu.be/lgWiaDQVn04


http://youtu.be/PcvF8tNKodQ


http://youtu.be/J1GGvq8Sr4E


http://youtu.be/v5pt_VXXA9M


Funny review of our tax code

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-august-6-2013/don-t-mess-with-taxes?



Hmm? This next video is funny, but troubling! When we restrict the least among us the chance to vote, then we deny ourselves to claim that this is a country of equality.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-august-5-2013/ballotproof