‘The Grey Box and the Magician’s Assistant’ Gendered Technology in Alex Garland’s Ex Machina

Abstract

As a piece of Artificial Intelligence (AI), albeit one with a physical form, the creation in Alex Garland’s 2014 film Ex Machina has no biological need for a gender identity. With a narrative reminiscent of Mary Shelley’s 1818 Gothic novel Frankenstein, Ava, the artificial being in Ex Machina, cannot reproduce and consequently has no biological sex.  However, her creator, Nathan, builds her to reflect the female form and identify as a heterosexual woman. Applying theories of gender performativity, this paper will consider the implications of Ava’s programmed gender in an environment dominated by male figures. Considering feminist theories of bodily autonomy, this paper will also explore the implications of Ava and Kyoko’s gender expression, given they were created by a man to suit his sexual and domestic needs. Ultimately, Ava’s manipulation of Caleb and Nathan, the former who overestimates her conformity to gendered interactions, and the latter who underestimates her capacity as a female of his own creation, demonstrates that although technology in itself has no gender, engaging with the gender binary is necessary to fully participate in the society Ava enters.