In Science Fiction Film and Television, reviewer Nick Jones states that, while the definition of a Turing test given by Caleb—"It's where a human interacts with a computer. And if the human can't tell they're interacting with a computer, the test is passed"—is consistent with the modern popular understanding of how true AI is defined, Ex Machina is depicting a test closer to Alan Turing's original proposal, in which the machine passes if it can convince a human it is not just human, but specifically female.[36]
For Jones, the film illustrates that today's digital culture "equates women with machines", and he cites the first practical use Nathan makes of his pioneering human-like machines is to exploit them sexually, and also Nathan telling Caleb that Ava's face is a composite based on Caleb's pornography preferences gathered while routinely spying on him.[36] Consequently, Jones sees in the film a pessimistic suggestion that AI and robots lead directly to the objectification and sexualization of robot servants designed to appear female for emotionally stunted men, and contrasts that with what he suggests is the far healthier and compassionate, but still gendered, relationship depicted in Spike Jonze's Her (2013).[36]
Jones suggests that "Ava's whispered unheard words to Kyoko before they murder Nathan" are shown because Ex Machina "asks us imagine what our abused, exploited devices might do if they could start talking amongst themselves". For Jones, the audience's sympathy for Caleb has been dwindling and then he "gets his comeuppance", swapping roles with Ava, he now the prisoner and she the free agent offering him no more help than he did Kyoko.[36]
