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The Matrix, The Architect Can't Lie?


At the end of Revolutions, why does the Architect imply that because he is not human he is incapable of lying? Do any of the 'programs' ever lie?



Answer



I think he's just sassing her. It's not a comment on himself, it's a putdown on the humans vs machines, and humans past history of keeping their word. Like she might say:
"Architect, I hope you don't steal all the spoons because some kid might need to bend them".
"What am I, Australian?"
Now whether he can lie, I'm not sure. I just don't think that's the point of that scene.


EDITED TO ADD: I'VE read over The Matrix http://sfy.ru/?script=matrix_ts and Reloaded scripts http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/the_matrix_script/index02.htm (I'm staying away from Revolutions) and from I've read, every program seems to tell the truth, at least as much as they know with the knowledge they have at the time. There are times when it feels a bit sketchy, when machines philosophical views might be at odds with exact data/wording/definition about something. I'm thinking of when the Oracle says Neo isn't the One, or when Smith does his humans/virus monologue. Or at the very beginning of The Matrix when the Lieutenant says they can handle one little girl and Smith replies: No Lieutenant, your men are already dead. But I think it works in the spirit of telling the truth as they see it/from their point of view/how they phrase it.
The thing is, a lot of the program's dialogue seems to come in two flavours. Big infodumps about the Matrix like the Oracle or Architect, or philisophical viewpoints like Smith and the Merovingian, so it seems like in these situations you are only going to get the truth.



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