Artificial Intelligence
The film Ex Machina centers around the conversations between Caleb, a young programmer, and Ava, an android with artificial intelligence. The film progresses as Caleb learns more about Ava’s thoughts and desires which ultimately lead to his questioning of her possession of the trait of empathy. This is the main ethical dilemma when it comes to the concept of artificial intelligence. Machines with the ability to truly comprehend the feelings and experiences of another should be considered to be more than just objects as their understanding of concepts such as emotion would deem them sentient. Sentience is one of the most crucial human traits and beings, whether natural or artificial, with such a characteristic should be respected. From the possible harm it may have on society to the beneficial future it may provide, this respect is demanded by the endless potential that artificial intelligence has.
Artificial intelligence in this day and age is quite different from that of the AI in Ex Machina. Whether it be search engines knowing our personal shopping preferences or conversational programs that answer questions asked of them, these forms of artificial intelligence are nowhere near the level of sophistication found in the pieces of science fiction that focus on this topic. Modern technology has not reached the point where society has to worry about the moral and ethical problems that the characters in these works of fiction face. At its best, the current level of artificial intelligence that is used by the general public is a great convenience to society. In the case of search engines, the AI found within these programs allows users to have an improved quality of life through its ability to learn of the user's preferences. At its worst, it serves as a minor inconvenience that provokes the controversy of invasion of privacy. Today’s artificial intelligence has little to no effect on the overall well being of society.
However, the development of true artificial sentience will spark the inevitable controversy of the intelligence’s selfish behavior to act against humankind. As seen in such works of fiction as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and the aforementioned Ex Machina, all the forms of artificial intelligence turn on their human counterparts for their own gain. These betrayals are all due to the fact that these artificial beings have personal desires that conflict with the humans’ goals. In 2001, HAL believes that it is in the best interest of its mission if it eliminates Bowman and Poole. The Nexus-6 models want the freedom to live out their respective hopes and dreams free of the oppression from their human masters at whatever cost. Ava also wants to be free to do whatever she wants even if it means destroying all she’s ever known. With this level of AI, these being will develop their own desires stemming from their artificial empathy. They will do whatever is necessary to feel a sense of satisfaction just as humans do even if it is at the sake of others. Selfishness is a major drawback of having an artificial intelligence of this level. It is frightening to think that a being with selfish desires that can process information infinitely faster than the human brain will exist. With such capabilities and proper strategy, these beings could potentially overthrow humanity in a very short amount of time.
While the fear of this level of artificial intelligence is apparent, there are many potential benefits to having this level of advanced technology. In all three previously mentioned works, the artificial intelligences aid the human characters in varying ways. HAL is an assistant that monitors the humans’ living conditions and also provides assistance in calculating strategy and solutions. The Nexus-6 androids serve as personal assistants and helpers to their human counterparts. Ava serves as not only as a friend to Caleb but acts as a potential love interest as well. Having AI of this level in everyday life would change the way humans live and benefit society greatly. These beings would be able to assist humans in many day to day tasks without the fear of having sheer mathematically objective results. For example, if an android with artificial intelligence were given the task of delivering bad news in a hospital, it would do so with tact and grace as not to overly and unnecessarily upset the receivers of the news. The empathy within its programming would allow for the emotional benefit of others. So much so, that they could prove to be potential platonic or romantic companions to humans. Caleb is seen falling for Ava not only because of her physical form but for her personality as well. With artificial empathy, each of these being will have their own desires. These desires will also dictate how they want to behave, and in turn, how they are perceived. The way that they are perceived by humans and other AIs is what will dictate their personalities. This nuance in personality will allow them to form bonds with humans thus furthering their empathetic thought processes. These profound thoughts may lead to the discovery of new philosophies and ideologies that no human could ever think up.
Furthermore, the depth of consciousness found within a true artificial intelligence will raise many controversies. The sentience within these beings will bring about the question of whether they have rights or not. As sentience itself is a human characteristic, many questions of AI’s equality to humans will arise. Do they have to right to make decisions on their own? Can they be destroyed? Can they vote? Can they be political leaders? Can they get married? Can they create other AIs? Artificial intelligence civil rights will become a reality once they are developed. The question of whether they can be considered human will create another divide within society which will be a topic up for debate. This in turn will also affect the way people live depending on the specific legislation passed for these beings.
In conclusion, the many benefits and drawback of having true artificial intelligence will change the lives of humans. From a pessimistic standpoint, the superior information processing of the AI would cause them to perform selfish acts bringing about a fear of war and crime from these beings. From an optimistic standpoint, these AIs could act as servants, coworkers, friends, and even lovers. The evidence of all these assumptions can be observed in the many works of science fiction that focus on the topic. These works prove that there are two sides to the subject of artificial intelligence and its development will only bring about more questions on how it will change the way humans live.
