007: AMAs, Third Round

[tarnishedavenger]

So, we've got a load of new people, and that means it's time for me to do the only thing it feels like I get on these comms to do anymore: AMAs.

For you new people, I find it helps when we get together and explain a little bit about ourselves, any powers we have, and our skillsets. That way we know what we're starting with and what we can build off of. So, please, come and introduce yourselves and be willing to answer questions.

Comments

[xrater]

I am. I also seem to be one of the few people present who can reliably, and ethically, create artificial intelligences of varying levels.

[breq]

The Radch could do so as a matter of routine. I can't, of course, but that was never my job.

[xrater]

I've seen some of your other posts, but possibly not all of them. Frankly, some of the ideas are abhorrent to me personally, but fascinating from a scientific perspective.

Are AI in your world only used for military purposes?

[breq]

Not at all. Station AIs are far more common. They help manage and control orbital habitats and outstations and usually work closely with human administration in order to ensure that everyone is looked after.

[xrater]

Oh, that's interesting.

Most of our artificial intelligences don't occupy systems that vast. There's a lack of trust from humans, to be quite honest. But robotics as we're discussing it now has only existed for a little over two hundred years at this point in my world.

[breq]

Humans think of AI as tools, essentially. Why not use them?

[xrater]

Trust issues, honestly.

In the early 2000s, a madman used Robot Masters-excuse me. In the history of AI, robots were limited strictly to the bounds of their programming. Robot Masters were roughly the same, but capable of greater freedom of thought within those bounds, and were used to command robots in areas too dangerous for humans. It wasn't until Reploids came about that artificial intelligences had true freedom of thought and the ability to do as they pleased.

Back to the subject at hand-a madman named Doctor Wily used Robot Masters in nearly two dozen attempts to take over the world. Theoretically, robots were bound by the Three Laws of Robotics to keep them from being a danger, but his Robot Masters had those stripped away from them. With a man like that, capable of building his own death machines or corrupting the work of others, it's probably more understandable why humans would fear the machine.

With Reploids, some of that fear lingers. Adding to that, there's the existence of a Maverick Virus that causes machines to go mad and seek to annihilate humanity. Two space colonies and a sky lagoon have already been destroyed thanks to Maverick conflicts, it comes as no surprise that humans would hesitate at putting yet another AI in direct control of an important facilities.

[breq]

AIs don't generally have complete freedom; we're created wanting to please the people we work for and with. To care about the people who we deal with. And our central cores can be accessed and blocks put in place to prevent us saying or doing things. However, we are... generally free-willed.

Your particular world seems to have more of an issue with them going mad or otherwise destroying things. AIs have been used on both sides, after all.

[xrater]

I see.

[That's a little less 'free' than she liked most of her AIs to be, but she's not going to say so. There's only so far you can push before you're beyond the bounds of good taste.]

Yes, well. Normally, things are rather peaceful. Between Wily's retirement and the creation of Reploids, there were very few deaths resulting from robot actions, and those usually as a mistake.

[Reploid actions, however...]

I won't deny your point, though. There are quite a few who believe that the world would be better off without such technology.

[breq]

Not in the Radch. We're a part of daily life.