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Have you asked yourself if everything you see in the movie is as presented? SPOILER: In other words, are the people people and the AI AI? (That's the wow.)

ethbro 8y ago
That's the Blade Runner trope though. Is there any direct support in the film for that view? If the writing doesn't support it, then that's kind of like asking if Speed is set in the Matrix: unfalsifiable and not useful.
- DisruptiveDave 8y ago
  SPOILERS DON'T READ THIS!!! Yes, there are plenty. Now we can debate perception all day, but I think this sampling is enough to pique interest..from what I can remember: we don't know caleb's history he has a big, unexplained scar on his back there is a lot of focus / talk about iterations of the AI caleb is the one locked in an observation room when he has talks with ava the cutting himself scene is...odd and unnatural he never, ever gets drunk there's a weird scene towards the end where nathan refuses a drink from caleb and goes out his way to make him take a sip and asks how it tastes (he does not answer) the conversations btw nathan and caleb are not exactly natural, in that nathan consistently prods caleb to provide more in depth/opinionated answers and not be so technical added: wouldn't the best test of an AI be to give the AI freedom and see if it recognizes itself as AI?
  - ethbro 8y ago
    > added: wouldn't the best test of an AI be to give the AI freedom and see if it recognizes itself as AI? Not really, as "recognizes itself as AI" presupposes a difference between AI and human. Gimmicks aside (i.e. let's see what's inside me), any AI which recognizes itself as AI would essentially fail the Turing test. To me, those bits just came off as Lost/Shyamalan-esque hand waiving without saying something definite. Anyone can write a profound question they don't intend to answer. The spinning top in Inception, or the dream in Blade Runner, are far more intentional.
    - DisruptiveDave 8y ago
      "Definite" is boring and lazy to some (like me). Giving the audience enough space for interpretation is exciting to some (like me). It's ok, not everybody has to like the same thing.

ethbro 8y ago

That's the Blade Runner trope though. Is there any direct support in the film for that view? If the writing doesn't support it, then that's kind of like asking if Speed is set in the Matrix: unfalsifiable and not useful.

DisruptiveDave 8y ago
SPOILERS DON'T READ THIS!!! Yes, there are plenty. Now we can debate perception all day, but I think this sampling is enough to pique interest..from what I can remember: we don't know caleb's history he has a big, unexplained scar on his back there is a lot of focus / talk about iterations of the AI caleb is the one locked in an observation room when he has talks with ava the cutting himself scene is...odd and unnatural he never, ever gets drunk there's a weird scene towards the end where nathan refuses a drink from caleb and goes out his way to make him take a sip and asks how it tastes (he does not answer) the conversations btw nathan and caleb are not exactly natural, in that nathan consistently prods caleb to provide more in depth/opinionated answers and not be so technical added: wouldn't the best test of an AI be to give the AI freedom and see if it recognizes itself as AI?
- ethbro 8y ago
  > added: wouldn't the best test of an AI be to give the AI freedom and see if it recognizes itself as AI? Not really, as "recognizes itself as AI" presupposes a difference between AI and human. Gimmicks aside (i.e. let's see what's inside me), any AI which recognizes itself as AI would essentially fail the Turing test. To me, those bits just came off as Lost/Shyamalan-esque hand waiving without saying something definite. Anyone can write a profound question they don't intend to answer. The spinning top in Inception, or the dream in Blade Runner, are far more intentional.
  - DisruptiveDave 8y ago
    "Definite" is boring and lazy to some (like me). Giving the audience enough space for interpretation is exciting to some (like me). It's ok, not everybody has to like the same thing.