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Mariana Pontual & Álvares, Cláudia (2026). ‘All you have to do is ask’: Intertextual genealogies of the machine-woman in DVAs and science fiction film. Catalan Journal of Communication and Cultural Studies. 18 (1), 133-150

M. Pontual and M. C. Álvares,  "‘All you have to do is ask’: Intertextual genealogies of the machine-woman in DVAs and science fiction film", in Catalan Journal of Communication and Cultural Studies, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 133-150, 2026

@article{pontual2026_1779802247088,
	author = "Mariana Pontual and Álvares, Cláudia",
	title = "‘All you have to do is ask’: Intertextual genealogies of the machine-woman in DVAs and science fiction film",
	journal = "Catalan Journal of Communication and Cultural Studies",
	year = "2026",
	volume = "18",
	number = "1",
	doi = "10.1386/cjcs_00135_1",
	pages = "133-150"
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - ‘All you have to do is ask’: Intertextual genealogies of the machine-woman in DVAs and science fiction film
T2  - Catalan Journal of Communication and Cultural Studies
VL  - 18
IS  - 1
AU  - Mariana Pontual
AU  - Álvares, Cláudia
PY  - 2026
SP  - 133-150
SN  - 1757-1898
DO  - 10.1386/cjcs_00135_1
AB  - This article examines the intersection of gendered technologies and science fiction cinema, tracing the cultural genealogy of the machine-woman archetype from early cinematic and literary narratives to contemporary digital voice assistants (DVAs). By analysing four seminal films – Metropolis (1927), The Perfect Woman (1949), Her (2013) and Ex Machina (2014) – this study identifies recurring figurations of the machine-woman as an assistant, a projection of male anxieties and a space for sexual domination. These cinematic figurations provide a critical framework for understanding the feminization of AI technologies, such as Siri and Alexa, which continue to privilege scripts of service and affective availability and have historically responded passively to verbal abuse. Through a discourse analysis informed by feminist theory, and combining genealogical and intertextual perspectives, this research highlights how DVAs emerge within a longer cultural history of gendered technological imaginaries, reflecting broader patriarchal and capitalist structures. The study further critiques the cultural and technological processes that naturalize the feminization of AI, situating these dynamics within a historical continuum of gendered labour and representation. Ultimately, this research advocates for an interdisciplinary approach that bridges technological innovation with cultural critique. It calls for the reimagining of AI systems as sites of contestation and potential transformation, challenging the enduring stereotypes encoded in their design and fostering more equitable technological futures. This study contributes to the growing discourse on gender, technology and representation by offering a genealogically grounded account of the persistent cultural imaginaries shaping AI development.


ER  -