Alex Garland’s2014 sci-fi thrillerEx Machinaexamines the possibilities of the relationships between humans and AI and how our treatment of those perceived as non-human may expose some deeper truths about our relationship with the world. The film follows Caleb (Domnhall Gleeson), a timid programmer working for Blue Book (a sort of Google/Meta parody) who wins a contest to spend two weeks withfounder and CEO Nathan (Oscar Issac)at his secluded tech mansion. Living completely isolated, Nathan’s only other companion is Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno), his live-in housemaid whom he uses solely for his pleasure.
Kyoko is an ever-present figure, waving in and out of scenes, yet she never utters a single word. Even when Caleb tries to speak to her, she remains silent, prompting Nathan to remark, “she doesn’t speak English.“She understands commands that are given to her, be they related to household chores or sexual favors,and obliges silently, eerily, without protest. These uncomfortably Pavlovian behaviors highlight a theory dubbed Techno-Orientalism.Ex Machinais hardly the first film to incorporate this concept into its world-building. However, it does do so in a way thatdraws attention to the oppressive and fetishistic aspects of Techno-Orientalism.
What is Techno-Orientalism in Sci-Fi Films?
Techno-Orientalism is a term coined byDavid RobinsandKevin Morleythat refers to a Western perception of East Asia and its people in a hyper-technological near future. While the world at large is influenced by itself as societies progress,Techno-Orientalism builds on stereotypes of East Asian cultures and often reduces its people to, essentially, machines.It is not uncommon for characters that represent Asian stereotypes to be sexualized/commodified, vilified, or in some way subservient.
We see examples of this in films likeBlade Runner,Cloud Atlas, orThe Matrix, where elements of East Asian culture, from language to architecture to aesthetics, are picked apart and used as a means to create a more “alien” feeling. That’s not to say that imagining a blended or diverse future is inherently bad, or that some of these films also aren’t revolutionary for the genre. However,the cultural zeitgeist at the time was filled with elements of xenophobia(especially in the years post WWII) that have allowed Techo-Orientalism to slip through the cracks and trap these ideas within our culture and entertainment today.
Kyoko’s Role In ‘Ex Machina’
EnterEx Machina. As previously established, the film does not shy away from its incorporation of Techno-Orientalism. In fact, it almost does so purposefully.There is an unsettling atmospheresurrounding the entirety of the film, but a particular mystique hangs around Kyoko. Throughout the film, we see Kyoko doing various tasks while enduring the abuse hurled at her by Nathan, or acting as his sexual partner (there is even a point where Caleb tries speaking to her, and she immediately assumes he wants sex). It is eventually revealed that Kyoko is a robot designed by Nathan, tethered to his tech labyrinth just as all his other creations are. In one final twist, however, Kyoko turns on Nathan.After Ava (Alicia Vikander) makes her escapeand runs into Kyoko, the two attack Nathan, mortally wounding him before he takes Kyoko down with him.
7 References in ‘Ex Machina’ You May Have Missed
The acclaimed sci-fi film carries plenty of easter eggs beneath its surface.
Garland hasstated that his intentions were never to deceive audiencesabout whether the AI was truly artificial intelligence, yet he also wanted to give them more human-like qualities, so Kyoko never truly breaks out of the mold of Techno-Orientalism. However, the discovery ofKyoko’s robotic nature as the root of her behavior subverts our expectationsby revealing more about the nature of the protagonists (and by extension, the audience).As the plot unravels, Nathan and even Caleb’s truer intentions become clear, Kyoko is viewed with a sense of perverse ownership.Nathan obviously knows he can control and manipulate her, while Caleb is so preoccupied with helping Ava escape (and his growing attraction to her) that he neglects to extend that same help and sympathy to Kyoko.
Kyoko projects the aforementioned stereotypes to an extent that the audience becomes painfully aware of them, and,despite her robotic nature, we still question whether that is enough of a justification for the conditions she and the other AI have been dealt.The way she is objectified to fit the techno-oriental standard is presented as a consequence to the development of AI as much as it is a feature.She turns against her maker but ends up being destroyed in the process.As long as one of them remains alive, so will the dynamic of master and owner, man and machine.
Ex Machina
A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.
Ex Machinais available to watch on Prime Video in the U.S.
