Vom ‚Big Brother‘ zum ,Big Other‘: Verhaltenskontrolle im Überwachungskapitalismus am Beispiel des Spielfilms Ex Machina

Abstract

The article discusses the relation between surveillance and narration, under-stood as regimes of control, in the larger framework of culture (media, visuali-ty), economy (capitalism) and technology (big data, robotics, AI). The point of departure is a paradigm shift from “Big Brother” to (the) “Big Other” which transforms a visual regime into an omniscient one that is not based on images alone. In this new constellation, Big Brother serves as visualization and narrati-zation for the algorithmic data network that escapes our perception. To discuss these observations, the text relies on Alex Garland’s feature film Ex Machina (2015) that incorporates both regimes of control into its story of a threat to mankind.