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--- artificial_intelligence [2011/07/01 03:22] – [History] abiri
+++ artificial_intelligence [2011/11/22 04:09] (current) – abiri
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 ======Artificial intelligence======
+Note: Before starting an application for an artificial intelligence character, please check with RP Wizard Tsye to see if your concept is acceptable and an opening is available for it.
 =====History=====
 Artificial intelligence technology was developed on [[Earth]] prior to the [[Apocalypse War]]. It was applied to a wide range of uses: [[robotics]], scientific research, corporate management, and more.
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 There are a few exceptions.  All starships now include an on-board AI to govern the complex operations of the vehicle. On some commercial vessels it has become traditional to give the AI a name and personality, and in some instances a humanoid robot drone that is treated like a full crew member.
+| [[devik|{{http://www.trmichels.com/WolfHeadStare3310.jpg?75x75|But wait... there's more!}}]]|//Devik Sez: The sort of AI systems mounted on ships are typically your run-of-the-mill AIs which are intended for that purpose and little more; while they may be capable of running a ship autonomously and can even perform some feats beyond this, these sorts of systems are still capped by their limited package. This means that while a shipboard AI is great at flying and monitoring a ship and may even converse with the crew with Recom-level intelligence, most ship computers aren't able to handle heavy scientific processing or other data loads that specialized AI systems handle. These more powerful "Super AIs" or "Superintelligences" are typically only within the financial reach of governments and large megacorporations, and are gargantuan in size; Class 3 ships and higher are usually the only size vessel capable of mounting such powerful AIs, although with very creative use of space a Class 2 may be able to just barely fit everything inside, at the expense of all other utility. It's essentially the difference between your computer running home automation software, and the latest multi-billion-dollar supercomputer cluster.//|
 =====AI-controlled robots=====
 One complication for AI since the war is that compact [[nanotechnology|nanocomputers]] are no longer available. As a result, it is no longer practical to put a fully functional AI unit on board a humanoid robot. The smallest such units are about the size of a deep freeze and require dedicated power and cooling support. They can control robotic drones through a remote connection (i.e. telepresence), however.
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 For another example: A large starship, such as a military vessel, may have multiple high-capacity AI cores distributed around the ship in order to control the large number of functions and service robots, and to provide some level of redundancy.
-In the business world, the law still assumes that robots and AIs are property, and every AI core must have a rightful owner to control it.  AIs cannot themselves own property.  However, AIs can be (and often are) owned by corporations, and they can serve as executives in corporations, and in some instances enjoy a great deal of autonomy and large amounts of resources at their command.
+In the business world, the law still assumes that robots and AIs are property, and every AI core must have a rightful owner to control it.  AIs cannot themselves own property.  However, AIs can be (and often are) owned by corporations, and they can serve as executives in corporations, and in some instances enjoy a great deal of autonomy and large amounts of resources at their command. [[InterCore]] for example makes extensive use of AI systems in all levels of capacity, and is a recognized leader in AI development - both technologically and culturally. It's advanced systems are typically recognized as "individuals" within the corporation and are privy to all of the same benefits (and punishments) that any recom corporate citizen would enjoy, even including annual "vacation time" - the AI is allowed to self-determine what to occupy its run-time with. The megacorporation has come under scrutiny from more traditional organizations who are concerned with it's rapidly-progressive policies towards AI rights.
 Military AIs are considered property of the service and cannot leave it until they are eventually decommissioned or sold as surplus material.  They also cannot, properly speaking, become officers.  However, they can be given Officer Proxy Status (OPS) command positions.  In this situation the AI is supposedly standing in as the representative of an officer and issuing orders on his behalf.  This practice has evolved over time until OPS AIs are now, for most practical purposes, treated as officers.  The connection to a recom officer must still exist "on paper", but in practice has become little more than a formality, and military AIs now widely receive more equitable treatment than their civilian counterparts.
 Military robots are used for carrying supplies, for reconaissance, and can carry weapons, but tradition demands that weapons cannot be fired without a recom either giving the order or pulling the trigger.  (Thus, an OPS AI can't fire a weapon on its own initiative, but it can order recoms under its command to do so!)  Fully autonomous hunter-killer robots (HKs) -- such as those widely used during the Apocalypse War -- are no longer allowed.
-Robots exist in a wide range of forms.  Most vehicles have a simple semi-intelligent processor that can navigate and guide them safely.  Specialized robots are often used in construction and agriculture.  The most versatile robots, however, are humanoid.
-Humanoid robots usually have an attractive human-like body shape and face.  They are rarely made with recom-like muzzles, tails or fur.  More often their bodies are encased in tough plastic panels.  More expensive bots will usually have a thin layer of rubbery synthetic skin stretched over those panels, with a sensor mesh enabling a more effective sense of touch.  More expensive bots also tend to have more flexible faces, with expressions approximating those of humans.  Many of them are androgynous in build, although robots with feminine or masculine builds also exist.
-Most robots are easily recognizable as robots.  To make a humanoid robot pass as a living recom would require a considerable amount of custom work to create a believeable tail, muzzle, ears and fur, and to create a completely normal-sounding voice, movements, etc.  Making a robot pass as a recom when seen from a distance is merely expensive.  Making one pass as a recom with close inspection and face-to-face interaction is nearly impossible -- although if you watch cheesy spy movies or sci-fi TV shows, you might get the impression that it happens all the time.
-All of these robots are controlled remotely via "telepresence".  The robot can only go to places where it has some kind of data link!  Most of our planets, moons, spaceships and space stations have wireless cellular networks which allow the robots to wander freely.  However. . .  It's always possible for a robot to wander into a place where the signal drops out.  If this happens, the robot may be programmed to become idle until the connection is restored, or it may be programmed to wander about in search of a signal so that it can re-connect to its controller.  The connection is also limited in distance.  Because of time delay, it's impractical to control a robot over interplanetary distances.  (Even the time lag between Earth and Luna is 1.28 second, which is enough to make control quite difficult and frustrating.)
-=====Recom-controlled robots=====
-It's also important to note that the controller does not have to be an AI core!  It is also possible for a recom to take control over a robot and use the bot as a "surrogate".  Robots can be used in environments where it would be dangerous for a recom to work.  They can be used for telecommuting.  They can also be used to commit actions anonymously -- which has resulted in some use by criminals, and also some efforts by law enforcement to register or track robots electronically.
-Recoms do not have direct neural interfaces at this time.  To control a bot you have to work through some kind of interface.  A [[virtual reality]] type of interface with goggles and data gloves is preferred, but a common computer interface (monitor, keyboard, etc.) can be used in a pinch.  It does take practice and is a skill most recoms develop only if needed for their profession.
-=====Power source=====
-Most robots -- particularly humanoid ones -- are powered by batacitor [[power cells]] which must be recharged regularly from the power grid.  Most humanoid robots can get through a typical day's work, or maybe two, on a charge.  Exertion will drain the cells more quickly, possibly requiring a mid-day recharge.  Charging from a standard wall outlet takes several hours and is usually done overnight, but many workplaces that use robots have specialized high-voltage stations that can charge up a bot in 15 minutes.
-Batacitor cells are designed for safety.  However. . .  If they are physically crushed or punctured, they can release their energy in a very startling and somewhat dangerous explosion.  The cells are usually mounted in protected areas inside the robot's body and spread out in several locations, so that a failure won't set off the entire power supply at once.