Ava is an AI with extremely high emotional intelligence. From Kyoko's setting, it can be inferred that Nathan has made the progress he wants in AI's'functionality'. The recent AI prototypes are aimed at improving their personality and making them easier to get along with (do you remember an Asian robot patted his arm off when he had a dispute with Nathan.) Nathan also told Caleb Frankly speaking, the real purpose of this turing test is to see if Ava can skillfully use human emotional appeals (empathy, manipulation, etc.), and let Caleb release her. Nathan's work is too successful. There are few action scenes in the whole movie, and the plot development is basically driven by dialogue. The 6 conversations between Caleb and Ava perfectly embodies how Ava enters Caleb's heart, gains his trust, and relies on him to achieve his goals. Ava didn't waste any time, her swords were all right, and every time she spoke, she used big tricks.
Trick 1: Look for common ground / enemy.
How difficult is it to find common ground between a robot and a human being. Since you can’t start from the background, experience and other common points, Ava starts from a deeper place: life. After learning that Caleb was young After losing his parents in a car accident, Ava asked him if he knew what Nathan would do with him after he left. Caleb said he hadn't thought about it. Ava said Nathan would "switch off" her. After seeing that Caleb was really worried about her fate, she asked Caleb "do you need to go through a test to live?" Her question can bring ordinary people to the same front, not to mention losing their parents since childhood. And Caleb, who has more understanding of life and death. For such an AI with self-awareness, her existence is more than just a machine, and Nathan has no right to decide the life or death of another life, because he is not God (Caleb explicitly said this to Nathan).
After finding the common ground, targeting the common enemy (Nathan) was a matter of course. After Ava said "Don't trust Nathan, he is not your friend." to Caleb, she successfully planted the seeds of distrust for Nathan in Caleb's heart, giving Caleb a reason for his betrayal.
Trick 2: Make the other person feel important
Ava knows that the most basic emotional needs of human beings are to be understood and respected, so she satisfies Caleb as much as possible in these aspects. From their third conversation, Ava was not sitting in a chair but kneeling on the ground. This makes Caleb feel like a superior / person in charge. Ava asked "Will you be my friend?" again. This question that made him vulnerable seemed to give Caleb the initiative, but it actually brought Caleb one step closer. Of course, there are also Caleb portraits that can be called the climax of the plot. Ava makes Caleb feel that she is the only one who rules her, and she is sincere to Caleb. Caleb, who is kind-hearted, naturally has a desire to protect her, thinking that Ava's life and death are his own responsibility.
Trick 3: Find out what the other person wants, that's how you get what you need
Ava couldn't give Caleb money or status, but she saw Caleb's need for family and friendship. From the friendly expression to the straightforward "I am thinking about you when I am not with you." Caleb's emotional development has always been in her grasp. When the time was right, Ava said her request like this: "Nathen is going to switch me off, but I want to be with you." Come to the conclusion "I want to be with her as well, so I need to help her break free."
There is nothing to say about the rest. Ava escaped from the isolated research base and walked on the sunny street as he wished. I am really happy for her to see here. With so few chips, Ava can accomplish this goal higher than the sky thanks to the high EQ given by Nathen. Being able to make good use of these AI-level big moves is greatly beneficial to our work and life. Keep your head clear (Ava's emotional ups and downs are basically not large, and a few times are deliberate), can think about problems from other people's perspectives to achieve your own goals, and how to say you can half the success in the workplace.
View more about Ex Machina reviews