Ex Machina as Philosophy: Mendacia Ex Machina (Lies from a Machine)

Alex Garland’s 2014 Ex Machina is a suspenseful movie with a might-not-be science fiction feel. On the surface, it is a cautionary tale about the invention of artificial intelligence. But it is also a movie about lying. The Turing test becomes the plot device to motivate a complicated web of lies, as each of the characters attempt to deceive one another for their own purposes. Approaching the film with a loosely Kantian approach to morality reveals that Nathan’s Turing test may not indicate what he believes it does about consciousness. Furthermore, it indicates that successful Turing tests are unethical. Finally, it lets us rethink our embrace of the so-called lie told for good reasons. In all, Ex Machina turns lies and their consequences into fascinating questions about the rationality and morality of lying and what happens when we treat – or fail to treat – those who deserve it with respect.