Diplomacy by way of asking loaded questions.

[diziet_sma]

[Sma's been around, quietly keeping track of things and mostly being an observer of stuff. Her curiosity on a subject is now up, so have a video post.]

Hello, Tranquility.

So, I've been through a jump now as a resident and not a new arrival, and I've been watching things and—actually, let me give some context.

Where I come from, a ship this size would have what we call a Mind. It's an artificial intelligence that runs at a considerably higher rate of speed than the average human-form sentient. Some like to talk to the residents directly, and others create humanoid avatars for interactions. They've got interests, personalities, and a predilection for interesting names, like the Very Little Gravitas Indeed and the What Are the Civilian Applications?.

Our settlements are run by Minds as well. We've also got what we call drones, which are human-equivalent sentient AIs, operating independently of Minds. We also have sub-sentient AI for menial tasks—maintenance, that sort of thing.

So there's the context. What I'm wondering is—does the Tranquility have any kind of AI at work here? And are any of my fellow-passengers familiar with AI technology?

Comments

[logicunlocked]

[ He's never heard someone call an AI a 'Mind', but he might as well ask. ]

Are you with the UNSC?

[diziet_sma]

The which? No, I'm not. I'm from a group-civilisation known as the Culture.

Whoop a doop forgot this before | Voice | 90% encrypted

[logicunlocked]

Ah. Sorry. Well, where I come from, AIs are pretty similar to that.

video;

[toasterprophet]

[amused] You could say I'm familiar with AI technology, yeah.

video;

[diziet_sma]

[Raised eyebrow.]

That so?

[toasterprophet]

Being one myself. In a manner of speaking, anyway. The Cylon are a little more complicated than what most people think of as AIs - we're organic as much as cybernetic. But there are non-humanoid Cylons, too. Your Minds sound a little like our Hybrids, who guide our basestars.

[audio]

[testgasm]

Familiar, yeah, sure.

No onboard AI here, to my understanding. Asked about it, got a negative, which--let's face it--is just a little counterproductive on a ship this size, but to each their own, I suppose.

You'll find a few autonomous AI milling about, though, if you look hard enough. [heh heh] Why the interest?

[audio]

[diziet_sma]

It does seem weird to have a ship this big without even a semi-sentient routine somewhere on it, it's true.

I was just curious. It's very common where I'm from, as I said, particularly shipboard, and it's strange for me to see a ship without.

I'm Diziet Sma, by the way.

[testgasm]

Haven't given up on finding it yet, if there is one. Don't know why something this big wouldn't have an AI in charge of it, but who knows, really.

Right, sorry. Rude of me. It's Wheatley.

text;

[kringlefuck]

I AM 100000% DONE WITH AI SYSTEMS!!!!

thrrrreadjack - text I HOPE THIS IS OKAY

[godofthemachine]

But why? They couldn't possibly have anything against you.

ALWAYS OKAY 8)d

[kringlefuck]

Bee friggen ess! Hooo, thats a lot of malarkey. The only ai systems ive bothered with have caused me nothing but anguish!

Re: text;

[diziet_sma]

[Sma has just kind of watched this whole exchange with bemusement.]

Sounds like you've had an interesting time of it.

[theyalldieforme]

Earth doesn't have a lot of sophisticated AIs yet.

[diziet_sma]

What period of Earth are you from?

[theyalldieforme]

Early 2000s.

[idkmybffjessie]

Got an AI running the ship I was on about a year back, yeah. Not exactly standard operating procedure, but it exists where I'm from.

And the geth. And the Reapers. But they don't run ships as much as try to destroy them, mostly.

[diziet_sma]

"Geth" and "Reapers" are new to me. Can I ask what they are?

[idkmybffjessie]

[He has to frown a little at that, and for a moment he just stares at her, as if trying to decide whether she's lying.

Difficult to believe he's on a ship where nobody on board has heard of the Reapers. He doesn't know if that's reassuring or terrifying.]

Geth? Quarian creation. Bunch of programs in individual units. They're--wouldn't say a hivemind, but they're cleverer in groups. Quarians made 'em to be their servants, before they turned sentient and the quarians got scared. Geth won the war, and the quarians got kicked off their home planet. Been running ever since.

As for the Reapers--well. Bit of a longer story. Sentient ships from who the hell knows when or where. Thought they were a kind of bogeyman to get all the alien kids to bed before they joined up with the geth about a couple years back. Bent on galactic domination, but we'll be damned if we know why. Can't say how they work, really. You hang around a Reaper long enough, it gets into your head. Not a lot of people come back from that with information worth using.

Text

[godofthemachine]

An interesting name for a sentient ship. A Mind.

You could say I'm familiar with AI technology, yes.

Re: Text

[diziet_sma]

I should note that Minds can be the central AI for a Ship, an Orbital—you might call that a space station—or any other large complex requiring some kind of organising principle.

How familiar?

[godofthemachine]

I'm fascinated by these Minds you describe. Tell me more about them.

I suppose you could say I've had first-hand experience.

[stimulations]

The ship is lacking one, as far as I can tell. That said, I've heard of attempts to connect with the ship ending badly.

Your society relies on them with no fear or concerns?

[diziet_sma]

That's so. I know some societies find that unnerving, but the organic and AI citizens of the Culture have been united by common goals for a very long time now.

There are always those who don't fully trust them, of course. The way I see it, you can trust a Mind or a drone inasmuch as you can trust any human—it's all in the context.

[stimulations]

They were all destroyed in my world, and the making of more - or harbouring of any survivors - is highly illegal. It's strange to hear someone talk of them like you do.