The concept of sexuality seems like an unnecessary trait for a cyborg to have, they are not human, they can’t reproduce, and having sexuality would be waste. Shira from the novel He she and It expresses her concerns about a cyborg having sexuality when she explains how “Machines behaved with varying overrides and prerogatives…’want’ was a word based in biology, in need for food,water, and sexual desire”(p.71).

In the movie Ex Machina, the creator Nathan defends his choice of giving Ava sexuality by arguing that there is no point in a life form that has no desire, and he wanted to replicate a human consciousness as closely as possible. This sentiment correlates with Avram’s, the creator from He she and It, justifications for giving Yod sexuality. “I felt the more closely he [Yod] resembles a human being, the less likely he would be detected…I could see no reason to create him mutilated”(p.71). In both cases sexuality is used by the creators to further establish humanness in a machine.

Yod’s most important relationships stemmed from his sexuality. Malkah and Shira were both his sexual partners and shapes Yod’s priorities as the story progressed. In many cases Avram would get frustrated with Yod when Yod would express that he needed to protect Shira, when Avram programmed Yod to protect Tikva- this urge to protect Shira comes directly from Yod’s sexuality and feelings for Shira. Yod also feels valued by Malkha through their relationship that fluctuated between sexual and non-sexual. Ava’s sexuality was a much less genuine characteristic when compared to Yod. The viewer goes through the movie thinking that Ava has a crush on Caleb. We find out at the end that to Ava- Caleb was just a means to an end, and her programmed mission was to use Caleb to escape. Ava uses her sexuality to manipulate Caleb and eventually she successfully completes her mission that confirms that she is in fact artificially intelligent. In He she and It, cyborg sexuality is much more genuine and closer to real human sexuality. In Ex Machina, cyborg sexuality is manipulative and not an outlet of desire but a tool for success.