Avatar and the virtual world

The movie award season is coming quickly upon us and there appears to be only one film which is being talked about – Avatar.  On the 19th day of the film's international release, James Cameron’s latest film crossed the $1 billion revenue mark worldwide, making it the fastest film ever to do so.  It has gone on to earn a worldwide total in excess of $1,858,866,889 and become the highest-grossing film of all time worldwide. This surely made the $300 million production price tag slightly more justifiable and palatable.  

Plot

Set in 2154 the far-away world of Pandora is home to the Na'vi, a race of incredibly tall, blue-skinned people. Given the fact that the planet's atmosphere is toxic to humans, humans have to wear breathing masks and live in a designated human compound called Hell's Gate.

The relationship between human and the Na'vi people is somewhat diverse. Due to Pandora's rich reserves of a valuable mineral call unobtanium, an extensive mining operation is being undertaken by a mining corporation in order to exploit these reserves. For security purposes, the corporation employs private military contractors (mainly former Marines) for security.

The military side of the operation is under the command of Colonel Quaritch who views the Na'vi as a threat and wants to wage war against them in order to conquer them and further the exploitation of the unobtanium reserves. On the other side are the scientific community who are attempting to try and improve relations with the natives and learn about Pandora's biology. The scientists grow Na'vi bodies modified with human DNA, called avatars, controlled by genetically matched, mentally linked human operators by way of "the link," a sophisticated chamber that connects the human brain to the Na’vi body.

When disabled marine soldier Jake (Sam Worthington) dons his Avatar and meets native female Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), he ends up on a journey of discovery unlike any other involving identity and reality which results in a questioning of allegiance.

The emergence of the avatar

This sci-fi film of truly epic proportions has seemingly woo-ed audience the world over attracting the attention and acclaim of so many including the most cynical of film critics. Cameron himself admits to the fact that he conceived the story for it in 1995 but then waited a decade in order for the technology to catch up so he could film it. This point alone may explain some of the uniqueness of the movie.  Whilst branded a science fiction film it is perhaps less fiction and more real science than one may care to imagine.

Take the name of the movie for example. To many people the term ‘avatar’ may well be a new word and regarded as something dreamt up especially for the movie. In fact it is a term that has been in existence for many decades previously. Rooted in the Hindu faith, an avatar refers to the deliberate descent of a deity from heaven to earth. Alternative forms of expression could be incarnation, appearance or manifestation. The term is particularly used in reference to the embodiment of the god Vishnu in typically lesser forms of being including turtles, fish, boars or lions. Which of the lesser forms was chosen to be embodied was decided upon the basis of the intent of the god who engendered them.

In contemporary technology parlance, the term avatar has been adopted by the internet gaming fraternity. Players created avatars – virtual selves through which they live, play and die, only to live again in the game. The game Habitat was the first to apply this technology in 1986.

Virtual worlds: testing out transhumanism

With the emergence of 3D virtual worlds such as Second life interaction between one’s avatar and another is on the increase. Increasing numbers of people are meeting friends, building communities and even shopping together. It is reported that the amount of time people are spending controlling their avatar in these virtual worlds is exceeding the time they are spending representing themselves virtually[1].

Avatars can be as complex or as simple, attractive or unattractive as you can imagine. Cartoon style drawing is equally as valid as a sophisticated 3D character which can then be further customised to a high degree in terms of body shape, clothes and expressions. Even a ketchup bottle can be found to have a ‘life’.

Aside from the immediate novelty factor which virtual worlds such as Linden Lab’s ‘Second Life’ present they also offer a context in which to explore deeper the ideals of transhumanism and its vision of the post-human future ushered in by human "enhancement" technologies. Very often opponents of virtual reality (VR) base their arguments on the fact that it creates a form of escapism from the real world and that very quickly life in VR can become more real than actual reality. Whilst this is an important point to consider it can also be argued that VR can present a context in which the human psyche and human nature can be explored more fully including the positive as well as the negative. This exploration can involve experimenting with potentially irreversible interventions which could alter the nature of the human race either for good or for ill.

Conducting some experiments in the real world could present far too high a risk. Charting the development of world such as Second Life in this way presents findings which are well worth serious reflection by us all including the transhumanist. For example, has Second Life created a world free of disaster and upheaval, pain and disability? From surveying the population of Second Life it would be difficult to find an obese, ugly or disabled avatar. Does this signal the demise of tolerance and compassion or just the rise of perfection and the ideals we so eagerly desire in ‘real’ life? But does virtual world really spell a completely idealistic world free from all violence? Not so it would appear. Recently Second Life has been subject to virtual terrorism and violence spearheaded by its own virtual army going by the name of Second Life Liberation Army (SLLA) [2]. Furthermore an outbreak of self replicating scripts was released which crashed the system[3]. Linden Labs quickly dubbed this as a ‘grey goo’ [4] playing on the term widely promoted by Eric Drexler in relation to nanotechnology and more recently the focus of the storyline behind Michael Critchton’s novel ‘Prey’.

Questions posed by ‘Avatar’

Returning to the movie as has already by acknowledged by other commentaries there is a clearly an environmental theme running through the film highlighting questions pertaining to biodiversity, exploitation and imperialism. Whilst important these questions will not be explored here in favour of looking at the questions relating to technology and particularly virtual worlds.  

Disability

In the movie, marine solider Jake assumes his Na’vi avatar in order to infiltrate the tribe and learn more about their culture and environment. What is particularly interesting with Jake’s character is the fact that he is more than just a former marine who may have retired from the military or left due to ill health. Jake is in fact disabled and in a wheelchair. This makes for an interesting perspective in terms of Jake embodying his avatar. For example, no sooner has he been connected up to his avatar for the first time he is more than eager to start to run and walk. Dismissing the cries of the scientists in the lab who are keen for him to adopt a more steady pace of adjustment to his avatar, he seeks to break free from the confinement of the lab and run out into the world that awaits for him as a member of the Na’vi tribe. This enthusiastic portrayal of Jake embracing his avatar identity seems to suggest that Jake is more than just another member of the team of scientists but he is actually finding a way of living a more embodied life than he is able to in real life. In fact at one point when Jake disconnects from his avatar at the end of the day he reflects that everything has changed. Reality has become the life lived through his avatar and the dream is returning to real life confined to a wheelchair.

Identity

This leads us conveniently on to the question of identity. As the movie progresses and the conflict between preserving the life of the Na’vi tribe and bulldozing forward with the commercial mining agenda, Jake cries out that he does not who he is anymore. Who is the real Jake? Is ‘Jake the ex-marine’ the real Jake or is it the avatar?

Not only is this a question for us to consider in terms of future applications of avatars but also, it would seem, in terms of engaging with the movie. The Times newspaper reported that due to the 3D technology which the movie has used to create such a visually stimulating vista that fans of the movie have reported cases of depression and disillusionment[5]. Internet chat forums are covering discussion threads entitled “Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible”. It would seem that a number of fans are experiencing feelings of repulsion towards the reality of life on Earth in contrast to the vivid beauty of Pandora. Another post reads, “It’s so hard, I can’t force myself to think that it’s just a movie, and to get over it, and that living like the Na’vi will never happen”. A sense of companionship has apparently been lost in the ‘real’ world so much so that fans of the movie are even contemplating suicide in the hope that they will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora. When taken as part of the wider picture, such feelings may only constitute a small proportion of those who have seen the movie, enjoyed it and been able to differentiate between the two.  Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge the fact that some have felt this way. Whilst the issue over virtual reality has always been around following the development of computer gaming, now that movies such as Avatar have arrived on the scene and the stark impact the 3D technology employed in the movie has made and promises to make on cinematography it is needful to consider the implications this has on human interaction and relationship.

Human enhancement

The use of technology by the military also presents an interesting set of questions in term of human enhancement. A form of enhanced bionic warrior suit with arms and legs make several appearances in the movie and aid the security forces to traverse the forests of Pandora. Yet when Jake arrives at Hell’s Gate in a wheelchair, he is looked upon with disgust and inferiority as he wheels himself across the compound.  There have been good arguments made that in actual fact a wheelchair could be seen to be a form of basic enhancement. It allows someone who no longer has use of their legs to gain more form of mobility. In a similar vein the often criticised distinction of therapy versus enhancement the wheelchair is a form of therapy returning the individual to somewhere near the ‘norm’ in terms of mobility.

So in a world where bionic warrior suits are a common feature why is the common wheelchair looked upon with such disgust? Is it simply a matter of old versus new technology? Why does Jake stay with the wheelchair and not adopt one of the bionic suits? It may point to a far more subtle state of affairs which concerns the issue of distributive justice and disability as being an unworthy recipient of new technology. From the moment Jake arrives in his wheelchair he is looked upon with disdain and the usefulness of his presence there questioned. What appears to be suggested by the film is that those in power, the privileged, the big corporations, the military and able bodied are able to embrace enhancement as something that they are able to access and use for their own ends ultimately taking them on into a post-human form of existence. Those who do not fall into these categories are not entitled to such privilege. The challenge to us is whether or not this could happen in reality as enhancement technologies evolve.

Whatever the position and message the viewer believe ‘Avatar’ communicates it is hoped that the phenomenal global success of the film will help to bring the discussion surrounding virtual worlds and human enhancement into more mainstream discussion and help to trigger a more engaged debate surrounding the ethical, legal and social implications of new technologies.

The official 'Avatar' website can be found here.

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[1] Mason Inman, "Gender-bending avatars inspire less trust" 5th July 2007, http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12199-genderbending-avatars-inspire-less-trust.html  [accessed 25th January 2010]

[2] AFP, “Virtual terror strikes Second Life” 23rd February 2007,  http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Virtual_terror_strikes_Second_Life_02232007.html [accessed 25th January 2010]

[3] PlayNoEvil, “Another Denial of Service Attack/Hack on Linden Labs' Second Life”,  16th April 2006,  http://www.playnoevil.com/serendipity/index.php?/archives/380-Another-Denial-of-Service-Attack-Hack-on-Linden-Labs-Second-Life-MMO.html [accessed 25th January 2010]

[4] Robert Lemos, "Second life plagued by 'grey goo' attack", 24th November 2006, http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/24/secondlife_greygoo_attack  [accessed 25th January 2010]

[5] Kevin Maher "Avatar and the movie blues" 19th January 2010, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/mental_health/article6992862.ece  [accessed 25th January 2010]

• AI & Robotics
• Enhancement

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