Gender Dynamics in Artificial Intelligence: Problematising Femininity in the Film Alita: Battle Angel

This paper interrogates the representation of women characters in Robert Rodriguez’s 2019 film Alita: Battle Angel. Considering the conflicting traits of female characters, this paper employs Julia Kristeva's theory of Abjection to analyse the characterisation of hyper-gendered and semi-robotic cyborg feminine characters, Alita and Nyssiana, in the film. The study highlights the patterns through which the film genderises artificial intelligence by introducing deformed female characters. It also discusses the implications of artificial intelligence for concepts of subjectivity and humanity and focuses on gender and the positioning of women as commodities in science fiction movies. Drawing on Kristeva's ideas of Abjection, the paper posits that female characters are dehumanised and deformed to the extent that they come across merely as objects of fear and desire. Keywords: Abjection; Artificial Intelligence; Science Fiction; Gender; Masculinity