The science fiction thriller “Ex Machina,” opening this weekend starring Oscar Isaac, is a vivid, chilling look at the creation of an exceedingly human android.
In the high-concept film, a young programmer (played by Domhnall Gleeson) is selected to participate in a breakthrough experiment in artificial intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a breathtaking female A.I.
The writer and director Alex Garland, who previously penned the smart zombie horror "28 Days Later" was inspired by cognitive robotics expert Murray Shanahan. He wrote a book called “Embodiment and the Inner Life.” It looks at the intersection of consciousness and artificial intelligence. Shanahan emphasizes that any discussions about AI are highly theoretical, and that the science seen in “Ex Machina” would be decades away at least. Still, the choice by Garland to set the film in a future “ten minutes from now” makes it all seem more “sci-fact” than science fiction.
Why is AI so frightening to some? What types of intelligence and capabilities would an AI have to make it seem human like? What is society’s responsibility to an android with a conscience and feelings - and vice versa?
Guest:
Murray Shanahan, professor of cognitive robotics at Imperial College, London. He was an official advisor for science fiction film Ex Machina, a psychological thriller about a revolutionary new form of artificial intelligence (AI).