HITC delves into the mystery of Nirmata’s true identity in Gareth Edwards’ visionary sci-fi blockbuster The Creator, with the truth behind the AI architect explained.
Directed by the man who brought you Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Godzilla, the 2023 movie The Creator is now in cinema and stars John David Washington as Sgt. Joshua Taylor in a future reality where the West has banned AI in response to a devastating terrorist attack on Los Angeles. However, New Asia is a place where AI and humans co-exist in agreement. And yet, the US is determined to wipe them all out with a deadly space station called NOMAD. AI’s only hope is Nirmata, so let’s get The Creator explained.
The Creator’s Nirmata twist explained
In The Creator, Nirmata is the name given to the architect of AI. Furthermore, AI ultimately regards Nirmata as a religious figure, being their ‘Creator’ that the title is in reference to.
The movie begins by establishing that Joshua was once working undercover to hunt down and kill Nirmata. While deceiving the humans and AI around him, he is head over heels in love with a robotics maverick named Maya who is pregnant with his child.
She discovers that he’s still undercover when the US tracks their location and attacks, so she flees and is believed to be killed in the conflict.
Five years later Joshua is tasked with hunting down Nirmata again, along with the ultimate weapon that Nirmata has created after being persuaded that Maya is still alive. His search leads him to learn that the ‘weapon’ is in the form of an AI child he begins calling Alphie.
As it turns out, Nirmata was actually Maya all along, and it was she who created Alphie from the DNA of her and Joshua’s unborn child.
That’s right, Maya is the architect of AI.
Since the attack in the film’s expository flashback, Maya has been in a long and deep coma. The AI explains that they would’ve let her pass away peacefully already but have been unable to do so because they’re programmed never to harm their creator. So, Joshua takes her off life support, finally allowing her true rest.
The attack on Los Angeles five years ago wasn’t orchestrated by AI hellbent on attacking humanity. In actuality, the destruction was the disastrous result of a human coding error.
While the US is determined to wipe out AI despite its alliance with New Asia, AI doesn’t wish to fight or kill any humans, instead only wishing to live peacefully side-by-side.
Throughout the film, it’s illustrated that there is very little difference between AI and Humanity beyond the circumstances of their existence. In short: AI is not the enemy, we are.
The Creator director’s verdict on the ending
In the end, the AI triumphs thanks to Joshua and Alphie taking out NOMAD, the final shot being of a smiling Alphie with the space station wreckage plummetting to Earth.
“I always intended it as an optimistic view, like there’s going to be world peace,” the director explained during an interview with Inverse.
However, he says some felt it wasn’t optimistic at all. “We screen the movie as you make it to friends and family and some people came out and felt it had a bit of sinisterness to it,” he admitted.
“I actually really like that. I like it when you’re on a knife’s edge at the end and it’s bittersweet and you have mixed emotions. It’s not just one simple result. After the credits roll, I’m fascinated to find out what people think.”
The Creator is now in theaters.