Transhumanism in Film are technologically enhanced beings our lesser or equal?

Transhumanism” concerns the concept of human beings being able to evolve past their current physical and mental limitations by means of science and technology.

By Patrick O’Brien

Trans-humanist theory is contextualised within the 2014 science-fiction thriller “Ex Machina” and also within formal animation, such as the 1999 animated classic “The Iron Giant”.

Despite both films showing trans-humanist logic, there are clear distinctions in the way the idea of transhumanism is accepted in these two films.

Transhumanism in Film – are technologically enhanced beings our lesser or equal?

EX Machina (2014) 

Firstly, the live-action “Ex Machina” directed by Alex Garland. The film revolves around Domhnall Gleeson’s Callum, interacting with Alicia Vikander’s Ava, a cyborg being, created by Oscar Isaacs Nathan.

Both actors interact with the CGI Ava regularly and the film’s narrative concerns her interactions with her creator and her tester, putting forth the notion of the humane and the inhumane.

The film leaves the viewer with the idea that humanity cannot exist alongside “transhumanism” when one side proceeds to oppress the other.

Through their individual relationships with Ava, the issue of humanity against inhumanity arises.

As Ava’s interest in civilisation and the outside world grows, the viewer watches as her creator Nathan begins to demonstrate a less humane side.

Nathan has certainly broken through scientific limits by creating ‘life’. Yet, he has done so with the intention of controlling and manipulating it.

Nathan, in the process of creating life, ultimately loses his own essence of humanity due to his contortion of the trans-human beings he creates. Despite Ava and another of his cyborg beings named Kyoko being his creations, he treats them as lesser beings.

Nathans’s seclusion and complete control over his “trans-human beings” have made him out of tune with the world of humanity.

His creations are the only physical specimens he has contact with and their influence has made him more inhuman as a result.

Perhaps the most convincing evidence of Nathans loss of humanity is how he is willing to ‘kill’ Ava by replacing her with a new model.

This proves he has no value for her existence as he is willing to disregard it completely.

Within a pivotal scene, Ava questions Callum about whether or not he will switch her off if she fails a compliance test, asking “why is it up to anyone?”.

This I feel is an interesting question in relation to trans-human theory. Ava has been created to express the human subconscious and operate as if she was a human herself.

Yet Nathan has the power to end her life by reprogramming her, willing to do so without any concern for her opinion or feeling.

He is cruel in how he permits her life, yet sets her existence as beneath that of a human one, playing ‘God’ in a situation which shouldn’t be decided by one man.

Nathans’s actions result in his death, as Ava and another cyborg he had created named Kyoko murder him within the film’s conclusion.

His end represents the consequence of meddling with beings of artificial intelligence. In terms of and Kyoko, Nathan abused his position as their maker.

He gave them conscious, yet kept them as his prisoners to which he decided their fate, permitting life, yet not truly allowing freedom.

It is this treatment that provokes these trans-human beings to kill their creator, as he is the barrier between truly existing and being a slave.

The Iron Giant (1998)

“The Iron Giant”  also ponders upon the thought of the ‘human vs the in-human’ however it contrasts the depiction within “Ex Machina” as it eventually demonstrates how humanity can come to accept “trans-humanism”.

The film provides a refreshing artistic depiction of ‘transhumanism’ as through the use of hand-drawn sketching, the animators were able to create a larger than life cartoon entity Giant.

Directed by Brad Bird, The film revolves around a young child named Hogarth Hughes discovering a hulking Robot (voiced by Vin Diesel) and their journey together which is naturally filled with trial and tribulation.

This is largely due to how society reacts to the Iron Giant, not understanding or wanting to accept its existence.

In terms of the giant itself, it contrasts the CGI beings in “Ex Machina” in how it has not been drawn to resemble humanity.

Initially, seeming intimidating due to its broad grey exterior and expressionless face, through the charm of animation the film-makers were able to make this supposedly imposing figure a ‘transhuman’ creation to which adolescents can warm to.

The animators have made the giant’s movements and mannerisms with the intention of breathing life into him making him appealing to the audience.

The giant omits charm through comedy.  He is essentially a ‘fish out of water’ and his obliviousness to earth is employed in various moments of hilarity and slapstick.

What distinguishes both films ultimately is how we as human entities react to the thought of “Transhumanism” and how are reaction can lead to either hostility or acceptance.

Hogarth in contrast to Ex Machina’s Nathan is not trying to take advantage of this inhuman entity, simply seeing it as a being with a right to live.

As Hogarth states near the film’s climax ‘you’re made of metal, but you have feelings, and you think about things, and that means you have a soul”.

In this sense, Hogarth does not lose his own humanity in the presence of the ‘inhuman’.

Instead, he expresses to the giant how all life should be considered equal, rather than condemning the giant as something ‘other’ or lesser than human beings.

Both films elaborate upon “Transhumanism” and its logic, but they differ in how they depict humanity’s acceptance of it.

Whilst one reaction is to seek control and dominance, the other is to seek common ground and equality. We live in a world in which technology has become imperative to society.

It is interesting to evaluate these films with the idea of a not so distant future in mind, where trans-human figures could walk the earth, and what our potential reaction to them would be. As it could lead to either consequence or reward.

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