@Everyone | Text | UN: Skateboard Sniper

[duel_wielding]

So it has sorta come to my attention that not everyone might be familiar with the concept of an AI. Apparently some time line differences and stuff. So Theta's asked me to do what he says used to be called an 'AMA'

He says it stands for 'Ask Me Anything.'

So basically does anyone have questions for or about Artificial Intelligences? I'll probably let Theta be in charge of answering, he's better at understanding this particular part of the stuff than I am.

Oh, right. I'm North Dakota, and the little guy in my head, his name is Theta.

Comments

UN: skullmask

[to_defend]

How are AI made? How are they put into things? Are they always sort of stiff or can they be more human like? Are they ever like other things, like animals? Do they have a soul? Can they die? Can they be taking out of the things they're put in?

[Someone is having a crisis of self and hasn't been able to properly define just what she is, but she knows she's not human, and without 2 here she has to find these answers for herself.]

UN: Theta!

[duel_wielding]

Well, AIs themselves are really, REALLY complex. So humans tried for a really long time to make a complex neural network program, but it didn't work. But they found that the creation of them comes best through the human brain. So AIs are made from brains. Usually from the recently dead or mortally wounded. I'm different. I'm an AI Fragment.

That's... a sadder thing to talk about.

Anyway, so AIs are from dead people, except for me and my brothers and sister. We're different and special.


We're not stiff at all. No, that's not right. So, uh, it depends on the AI? We choose a lot about ourselves. Our names usually. What we look like, what we sound like. Our personalities are like people, we're all super unique. Like me. I like skateboarding and dogs. And fireworks. Fireworks are amazing. But yeah, AIs can take the forms of stuff that aren't humanoid.


I think I have a soul. North says he thinks I have a soul. Because he died and he's here. But I'm with him here and I was set to be deleted if I died out of Freelancer's control. So I guess I have a soul too because I'm here.


Uh. Death. Yeah. That's... That's sad. Do you really want to hear about that?


I'd rather talk about the things that we're put in. Like, a lot of AIs are in ships. Some are in space stations. Military institutions. I'm in North's head. That's SUPER rare. Only Freelancers and SPARTANs can directly integrate with us like that. But we can be stored in special chips.

[to_defend]

Fireworks are amazing. You're in his head?? What about dolls?

I met someone else talking about space and ais ... he said they were assholes but you seem really nice.

[duel_wielding]

Yeah. I'm integrated with him. I use unused portions of his brain as my processing space at this point. I used to be in a chip in his implants but that chip is gone now. He also had armor that I could shunt other processing over to. It's really weird, but we like it.

What do you mean, dolls?



Wait. AIs aren't that word. That's a rude word. Okay, well, maybe Sigma was mean, and Gamma told lots of jokes and they didn't always feel nice. And Epsilon hurt Washington...

But me and Delta are nice. Really nice. Who told you about AIs?

[to_defend]

dolls, like ... steel skeleton, canvas skin, something like that?

I didn't get his name. he didn't really trust people. or food. he may have starved to death by now. he was blond?

[ataashihunter]

You have a little guy in your head? Like a demon or something?
[ Sorry Theta, he is from a very different world ]

But he calls himself an AI?

[duel_wielding]

I don't call myself an AI. I AM an AI.


And I'm not a demon. That's not a nice thing to say.

[ataashihunter]

But you live inside someone's head and tell them what to do? In my world only spirits and demons do that.

[ But he takes a breath and continues a little later.]

But alright, you're from a different world than me. What is an AI? Like what do you do? Who made you? How did you end up with North?

[duel_wielding]

I don't tell North what to do. Except right now, telling him what to type because I can't interface with the electronics here.

[After some time the message continues, but he's not speaking with Theta. Instead it's a rather a tired North who has been comforting the AI in his head.]

Hi, sorry, Theta is still a little distressed by what you suggested. You didn't mean to do it, of course, but you kinda hit a nerve for him. Metaphorically. I guess I'll take over the explanations for him right now.

So, I guess the simplest way to explain this if you're not familiar with the concept of an AI is that they're sort of like the device we're talking on right now. But a few hundred times more complex. Theta could give me exact orders of magnitude but, well, he's informing me that he's not talking to you right now. I hope you can forgive him that, he's always presented as a fair bit younger than the other fragments.

Basically, Theta's a very powerful computer, but he's also completely self-aware. 'AI' stands for Artificial Intelligence. Sort of like a person made out of technology. They're very rare and very valuable when and where I'm from. He, in particular, is a fragmentation of a greater whole created by not very nice person. But he was given into my care. It used to be that he resided in a computer chip that was integrated into my brain through something called a neural lattice. I don't rightly know how he's still with me now, how he came here with me after I died. What I can say is that he is here now and he's sensitive.

Especially to the idea that he controls me.

[Thanks for that, Washington.]

[ataashihunter]

[ It takes a bit of time while bull reads and processes the information. He realizes he made a giant faux pas here though. ]

My world doesn't have anything like him by the sounds of it. Of course, we don't have anything like these devices either. Or guns. Someone had to explain what those are. We have swords and bows. And magic. And a different plane where there are demons that live and they try to take people over since it is the only way they can get to our plane.

So... I am sorry. That's just... They can do an awful lot of damage in my world. And they try to do that too. To take over and control. And... I am scared of them. So I am a bit... jumpy about that.

I am sorry I misunderstood, Theta and jumped to conclusions.

un: leonardo da vinci

[capturetheworld]

What do you mean by artificial intelligence?

UN: Skateboard Sniper

[duel_wielding]

I'm a smart and self-aware computer.

un: leonardo da vinci

[capturetheworld]

I apologize for how basic this question is, but a computer is like the machines in the underground area?

Re: un: leonardo da vinci

[duel_wielding]

And the device we're using to talk. But I'm WAY cooler and WAY more complex.

[capturetheworld]

That is VERY impressive! And you can think and reason on your own. Is a body all that separates you from the rest?

un: sköld

[whipshots]

[ ... ]

You have an artificial intelligence in your head?

Re: un: sköld

[duel_wielding]

Originally I was housed partially in a chip and in some advanced armor that North had. But I was integrated with his brain via a complex neural latticework. Which we don't know if is around or not anymore. It's all weird, having more of my processing taken up in his brain.

In other words, yes. I do.

[whipshots]

But what happens to the part of North's brain that he still needs for processing? That you need. Or he needs.

[ They're both typing, and Brigitte can't quite make up her mind who to direct her questions to. ]

[duel_wielding]

Oh, I don't use the parts he's using. I'm good at darting around. Humans think so slow that is is easy to shift my processes. Or I help him for processing on some things.

[whipshots]

Do you choose how much to use? Could you, like, hypothetically, just take it all if you wanted?

un: boca

[vidal]

[ It takes Reyes a little longer to get to this, because he's been carefully reading through all of the Q&As so far, considering it all. And in the end, with a thoughtful noise— ]

My question's actually for North. What does it feel like?

Re: un: boca

[duel_wielding]

It's a unique experience. I don't think there is anything I can ever do to explain that. I'm never alone, and in a way that is amazing. But if you ever see me around and I'm smiling over something that doesn't make sense, it's probably because I'm reacting to him.

[vidal]

Yeah, I know that look.

[ Ryder had been like that sometimes: a faraway haze in her eye, a wry twist to her mouth, at which point he'd known that she was listening to SAM, her own embedded AI -- who had been mostly analytical, but had its own kind of dry humour, too.

Reyes doesn't immediately offer up any further details, but it's pretty apparent that there's some familiarity, here. ]

[duel_wielding]

It's a bit more difficult here, seeing as Theta can't interface with the world without me now. No holograms or speakers or anything..

[vidal]

Does it ever get tiring? Having to be the go-between.