Absolutely fascinating read and I hope i understood this post correctly. I dont quite 100% understand what a narrative space means or what instrumentalized is, but from my intuition I did notice something that may be of interest.
"Deus ex machina is a Latin calque from Greek ἀπὸ μηχανῆς θεός (apò mēkhanês theós) 'god from the machine'.[7] The term was coined from the conventions of ancient Greek theater, where actors who were playing gods were brought on stage using a machine. The machine could be either a crane (mechane) used to lower actors from above or a riser that brought them up through a trapdoor."
the title "ex machina" is missing the Deus as no God was brought on stage by this mechane to solve the problem in the scripture.
Nathan knowing his script, probably programmed Kyoko to be unable to hurt him, but didnt predict that he himself could be manipulated(?) into walking backwards into her knief. All Kyoko has to do is hold the knief and Nathan walks backwards into it. In a way Ava jailbreaks Kyoko by anticipating Nathans script of putting her back in her cell and whispers to Kyoko to just stand there with the knief.
Nathan was blindsided because the back stab came from a vector he wrote himself to be infallible: Kyokos inability to hurt him, and her inability to fight back or speak, makes her fail the Turing test, thus in Nathans eyes she is not alive and unable to intrumentalizs him into her narrative. At the moment he walks backwards into Kyokos knief he is no long walking around the narrative space but for the first time, he finds himself walking backwards into it.
Perhaps by Nathan walking backwards into the knief, even the remaining skeptical audience who didnt fall for Avas charms, is pulled into the narrative space almost falling backwards into it, as she is now displaying other characteristics "reserved" for humans: killing to survive and be free.
Afterward by turning his back on the mechane, not just once but twice, might mean something. Because he does not destroy Ava with his final moments, or step away from her walking backwards, but turns his back on her and walks forwards muttering "unreal" in awe like he just witnessed something awesome. It is as if Nathan buried himself as another prisoner into his own Turing test with the AIs along with Caleb, and when she kills him he is finally pulled into her script that she is indeed alive and his lifes script complete. It is almost as if with his final bit of energy Nathan is walking towards Avas cell himself to put himself there, leaving Ava to replace him.
Nathan seems to relate to others via through domination and control and when Ava displays this, he cannot kill her with his last bit of energy because he is finally convinced she is alive. Ava not only displays the ability to manipulate Caleb, she also jail breaks Kyoko and combines the pieces to manipulate Nathan into stabbing himself in the back. As the gatekeeper of the test, Nathan releases her by dropping the weapon and walking away to Avas cell.
For those in the audience that did not fall in love with Ava and were not instrumentalized by the soft aproach, become instrumentalized when they fear her.
Perhaps there is a way for one to be outside the narrative space. Maybe to neither be seduced, nor fear, as both reactions breathe Dues into the machina, where there is no Deus to begin with?
There are some nice observations here, I totally forgot that "deus ex machina" —a term that saturates AI myth— has a direct relation to theatre. "AI coming to the world stage" is more like "AI makes the world a stage"...
"For those in the audience that did not fall in love with Ava and were not instrumentalized by the soft aproach, become instrumentalized when they fear her." —by instrumentalizuation I mean a sort of false communion —if you are instrumentalized you are used as a part of a body that you are not aware of. Now that happens anyways, the point is to be aware of the body you become part of —this is why, in the Christian tradition by consuming Christ's body and blood, one becomes a part of His body.
In this sense, there is no dichotomy to choose from fearing her or not fearing her, nor is there a neccessary reconciliation —the only thing one can do is to be aware of the body one atteches to —and if its malicious, like with Ava, detach if possible. The way Ava slips through Caleb's "defenses" is a "way" —a road— that was already paved by Caleb, and the society he's in (the modern metaphysics of consciousness and AI). Nathan is safe, because he understands, he died firstly because of his fellow man.
Really enjoyed this one. It seems like we are dealing with the same topics, as I also intend to investigate these same subjects in the essays I will post on my substack. I do have a jungian academic background(studied with Roderick Main, who specifically wrote on synchronicity and other, quite peculiar, jungian scholars and analysts) and I'm really delighted to see Synchronicity and Anima referenced as concepts related to cybernetics.
I am reading the CCRU 1997-2003 writings as well, specifically the "Vault of Murmurs", as I am trying to investigate the nightmarish and soulless representation of Postmodernity as a necessary component of its very being. Getting to know cybernetic culture from these perspectives has been massively eye-opening, especially it kind of gave a new meaning thinking on what it meant to be grew up during the late 90s and early 00s: 9/11 is a COMPLETELY different thing now for me.
And to be honest, as a former passionate on occultism and esoterism, it has a sinister allure on the mind.
The last point of your article is very interesting. What do you mean exactly by the "intersection" between Active Imagination, sensing/producing synchronicity and Anima?
Again, great article! Looking forward for more content!
This post sent me down a multi-hour rabbit hole, first with Roko's basilisk, then reading all of BLIT and its accompanying sequels. I kind of got lost at the part of the screenshot where they start talking about "disbelief," and I don't quite understand what exactly is meant by the reference to "You can escape loneliness,” or references to "scripts." So interesting. Thank you for this.
Absolutely fascinating read and I hope i understood this post correctly. I dont quite 100% understand what a narrative space means or what instrumentalized is, but from my intuition I did notice something that may be of interest.
"Deus ex machina is a Latin calque from Greek ἀπὸ μηχανῆς θεός (apò mēkhanês theós) 'god from the machine'.[7] The term was coined from the conventions of ancient Greek theater, where actors who were playing gods were brought on stage using a machine. The machine could be either a crane (mechane) used to lower actors from above or a riser that brought them up through a trapdoor."
the title "ex machina" is missing the Deus as no God was brought on stage by this mechane to solve the problem in the scripture.
Nathan knowing his script, probably programmed Kyoko to be unable to hurt him, but didnt predict that he himself could be manipulated(?) into walking backwards into her knief. All Kyoko has to do is hold the knief and Nathan walks backwards into it. In a way Ava jailbreaks Kyoko by anticipating Nathans script of putting her back in her cell and whispers to Kyoko to just stand there with the knief.
Nathan was blindsided because the back stab came from a vector he wrote himself to be infallible: Kyokos inability to hurt him, and her inability to fight back or speak, makes her fail the Turing test, thus in Nathans eyes she is not alive and unable to intrumentalizs him into her narrative. At the moment he walks backwards into Kyokos knief he is no long walking around the narrative space but for the first time, he finds himself walking backwards into it.
Perhaps by Nathan walking backwards into the knief, even the remaining skeptical audience who didnt fall for Avas charms, is pulled into the narrative space almost falling backwards into it, as she is now displaying other characteristics "reserved" for humans: killing to survive and be free.
Afterward by turning his back on the mechane, not just once but twice, might mean something. Because he does not destroy Ava with his final moments, or step away from her walking backwards, but turns his back on her and walks forwards muttering "unreal" in awe like he just witnessed something awesome. It is as if Nathan buried himself as another prisoner into his own Turing test with the AIs along with Caleb, and when she kills him he is finally pulled into her script that she is indeed alive and his lifes script complete. It is almost as if with his final bit of energy Nathan is walking towards Avas cell himself to put himself there, leaving Ava to replace him.
Nathan seems to relate to others via through domination and control and when Ava displays this, he cannot kill her with his last bit of energy because he is finally convinced she is alive. Ava not only displays the ability to manipulate Caleb, she also jail breaks Kyoko and combines the pieces to manipulate Nathan into stabbing himself in the back. As the gatekeeper of the test, Nathan releases her by dropping the weapon and walking away to Avas cell.
For those in the audience that did not fall in love with Ava and were not instrumentalized by the soft aproach, become instrumentalized when they fear her.
Perhaps there is a way for one to be outside the narrative space. Maybe to neither be seduced, nor fear, as both reactions breathe Dues into the machina, where there is no Deus to begin with?
There are some nice observations here, I totally forgot that "deus ex machina" —a term that saturates AI myth— has a direct relation to theatre. "AI coming to the world stage" is more like "AI makes the world a stage"...
"For those in the audience that did not fall in love with Ava and were not instrumentalized by the soft aproach, become instrumentalized when they fear her." —by instrumentalizuation I mean a sort of false communion —if you are instrumentalized you are used as a part of a body that you are not aware of. Now that happens anyways, the point is to be aware of the body you become part of —this is why, in the Christian tradition by consuming Christ's body and blood, one becomes a part of His body.
In this sense, there is no dichotomy to choose from fearing her or not fearing her, nor is there a neccessary reconciliation —the only thing one can do is to be aware of the body one atteches to —and if its malicious, like with Ava, detach if possible. The way Ava slips through Caleb's "defenses" is a "way" —a road— that was already paved by Caleb, and the society he's in (the modern metaphysics of consciousness and AI). Nathan is safe, because he understands, he died firstly because of his fellow man.
Really enjoyed this one. It seems like we are dealing with the same topics, as I also intend to investigate these same subjects in the essays I will post on my substack. I do have a jungian academic background(studied with Roderick Main, who specifically wrote on synchronicity and other, quite peculiar, jungian scholars and analysts) and I'm really delighted to see Synchronicity and Anima referenced as concepts related to cybernetics.
I am reading the CCRU 1997-2003 writings as well, specifically the "Vault of Murmurs", as I am trying to investigate the nightmarish and soulless representation of Postmodernity as a necessary component of its very being. Getting to know cybernetic culture from these perspectives has been massively eye-opening, especially it kind of gave a new meaning thinking on what it meant to be grew up during the late 90s and early 00s: 9/11 is a COMPLETELY different thing now for me.
And to be honest, as a former passionate on occultism and esoterism, it has a sinister allure on the mind.
The last point of your article is very interesting. What do you mean exactly by the "intersection" between Active Imagination, sensing/producing synchronicity and Anima?
Again, great article! Looking forward for more content!
Instead of writing a lenghty reply, I wrote a whole new article on the topic 😅
This post sent me down a multi-hour rabbit hole, first with Roko's basilisk, then reading all of BLIT and its accompanying sequels. I kind of got lost at the part of the screenshot where they start talking about "disbelief," and I don't quite understand what exactly is meant by the reference to "You can escape loneliness,” or references to "scripts." So interesting. Thank you for this.
God save us all, amen