AI Laws in regards to obey based on rank and role

[SierraKomodo]

So, looking at command staff here. This is a rather simple question, but I can never seem to get a straight, consistant answer from anyone, and there's always backlash from people no matter which route I take here, so I think it's time we discussed this and got an official, final cal on this one.

As an AI/Cyborg/android/etc with laws, when operating under the law to obey crew based on rank and role, when there's differing commands/opinions among command, who wins out and in what circumstances?

Some people have said the captain overrides everything. Period. The AI is the captains slave.

Others say a vote of X number of command members can override the captain (Some say 2 heads override the captain, some say 3). I personally like this one.

there's been a couple that say no head of staff, captain or not, technicaly overrides the other and they all have the same 'power' in that regard.

So, in regards to that, which one is it? When I'm in a situation where the Captain says do X, and the other two/three heads say don't do X, do Y, who 'wins' the command conflict? Who do I obey?

[keinto]

Whatever does not violate SOP nor Corporate Regulations, which take a long time to learn and should always have available for reference when playing AI/Borg/Sec/Command, I have no problem following the Chain of Command of Captain> Every-other-head. It should also be noted that depending on the emergency, the Head of Staff whose department is in charge of dealing with said emergency (I.E, Blob=CE, viral outbreak= CMO, and so on) is for all intents and purposes, the Acting Captain for the duration of the emergency, should the Captain not be present/available/competent.

That was a long sentence.

[Guest]

This might sound biased because I play Captain a lot, but you always follow captain's orders first.

The thing is, if Captain says something, all of the other staff are expected to bend down and take it regardless of their opinion. Captain's order overides everything except CentComm's direct order. The difference between a good captain and a bad captain is when and how they use this power. If they need to use this power, there is obviously an problem and CentComm needs to be contacted. Until a response arrives, Captain is still in charge.

Captain's orders can violate protocol if the situation calls for it, as can any other head of staff's. You're obligated to follow through unless they violate your laws, if they do, order is non-valid. Its not up to you to make action based around your opinion on what should be done unless it directly violates your laws. If the captain seems to be breaching protocol, its up to the other staff or CentComm to determine if steps are to be made to fix the problem.

Unless the head in question is doing something clearly wrong, like hurting the crew on purpose, don't act yet, but contact the IAA or another head to send a report to CentComm. If not applicable, send it yourself then proceed per their orders.

Same goes for any officers that goes to arrest HoS or Captain. You don't take authority over your superiors, but wait for a clear from their superiors. Doesn't matter how right you are, you need a very good reason to violate chain of command, anything less will end badly for you.

[mrimatool]

I am a veteran captain player, it was almost all I played back on Apollo, very similar to how Boka is now, but only I had a one armed Captain instead.

Here's the thing the chain of command is so important and the AI following orders only serves to further this, if the Captain has a choice between the AI closing and bolting toxins while some idiot scientist set it ablaze and now is trying to get out but there's two innocent scientists in the hall that can't get out because there's a lockdown that they can't lift. Is it good protocol to condemn your staff to be burned alive? No but it's good captaining, the only way such feats of Captaining can be performed is if the AI follows orders. I know it sounds dictator-y but the AI is a tool, a highly complex one but a tool nonetheless. The Captains greatest Ally is the AI, and that's the way it should be it's not easy being king but when you've got an all seeing AI at your disposal it's a hell of a lot easier.

As a captain veteran I do apologise for my bias but even as someone not playing as captain I still feel this way. However, I won't deny that my feelings are altered by all my time as Captain.

[SierraKomodo]

I think what I'm going to do is run a few rounds, probably over the course of a week, as a station AI where I obediently follow the captains orders regardless of anyone else's commands, then do another batch of rounds with the idea of 'X number of heads can override the captain', and see how things work out with both ideas.

[Guest]

I think what I'm going to do is run a few rounds, probably over the course of a week, as a station AI where I obediently follow the captains orders regardless of anyone else's commands, then do another batch of rounds with the idea of 'X number of heads can override the captain', and see how things work out with both ideas.

 

Honestly, I'll make a biased opinion and say that it depends on the Captains and heads in question. Sometimes captain is an idiot, sometimes heads don't even care. As I said, if such issues do pop up, its probably the captain. You should follow the captains orders regardless of what the others say.

[EvilBrage]

You have four laws, your only code, and anything outside those four laws is done at your discretion as the AI.

I always laugh when people try to quote SOP against an AI. I also laugh when people imply that "according to rank and role" automatically assumes that the higher ranking individual overrides all others. If the research director tells me to lock down a cyborg and the captain tells me not to, I'm going to listen to the research director because, according to his role, he's more suited to giving out orders relating to cyborgs and robotics; that is priority given according to his role.

There's no right answer to what you're asking; if you wanted to be a complete dick about everything, you could find loopholes in your laws to justify it. That's not the point of the AI, however, so it's generally advisable to play along in a believable manner and follow the orders of the highest-ranking individual knowledgeable in the proper fields pertaining to the order.

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

I have to agree with Evilbarge here. "According to rank and role" gives you leeway in these things, in certain situations. If Heads of staff conflict, it's best to side with the request that makes the most logical sense and best follows all of your laws. But it's always best to make sure you have a justification said in the same breath of a refusal, and that someone can believe it.