Central's IPC application

Central · September 9, 2015

BYOND Key: Centralsmith

Character Names: Central

Species you are applying to play: IPC

Have you read our lore section's page on this species?: Yes, what there is of it!

Please provide well articulated answers to the following questions in a paragraph format. One paragraph minimum per question

Why do you wish to play this specific race: I have been a long-time AI player in SS13. I wandered servers, generally, until I gravitated to heavy-RP stations like Hypatia, and only recently, Aurora. I hope to further the development of my character that is my namesake - Central - by playing a mobile-frame AI when I come in post-round and don't have an option of playing the station AI. I have previous experience in other heavy-RP servers playing IPCs, and have developed some unique playstyles based on the race and the quirks therein from the character using a mobile body like that.

Identify what makes role-playing this species different than role-playing a Human: An IPC is inherently different - a machine race like that is bound to respond differently to stimuli. While a human may respond emotionally to something, the odds are that an IPC will prioritize logic and reason over any emotional responses they may have - though they ultimately may take emotions into account if they are capable of such. IPCs are, however, just as varied in their possibilities as humans might be, so while the general feel for them is logic and reason over emotion, that may not hold true in every instance. Instead, it is the difference of their actual species, as basic as it sounds, that separates them - an IPC will respond differently to situations around them if not by logical responses, then by simple inevitable ones: Food, for instance, or lack of oxygen, are both non-issues for them!

Character Name: Central

Please provide a short backstory for this character, approximately 2 paragraphs

Central was initially developed in a research facility with moderate funding. It wasn't anything spectacular, it wasn't even a top-of-the-line facility. However, the scientist in charge was a little...well, no, a lot different than many of his peers. Driven by the eternal questions of 'what if' and 'what could be', he had successfully secured funding for the facility he was now working in. Many months passed with little out of the facility, but the truth was far more interesting than that.

The lead scientist was an old, but driven man brilliant in unorthodox ways, and had with him some of the brightest minds he could find within his reach - rather than reaching for the tried and true scientists in AI research, he instead offered prestigious pay to fresh graduates and even some students still working on their degrees. The differences in age was vast - the old scientist was well into his 70's, and not a single one of his team was over 35. This, truly, was what he wanted - unorthodox measures for unorthodox research. Nanotrasen had always been behind the curve of AI research, but the glut of funds they have would serve -them- well. They did the research for their own merit and cause, rather than directly for Nanotrasen. In truth, the research was done for the cause of research itself - pushing the boundaries of what could be for the sake of scientific curiosity.

It took some work, ferreting out the funding to provide for him and his team, but the lead scientist made headway, utilizing several diversionary trails to ensure they had time to work on their pièce de résistance - the AI. Some dozen project fronts were provided for the funds, and while separately their funding was mediocre at best, this diverting of funds from every project into the facility lead to one of the most well-funded, well-equipped AI research facilities in the entirety of Nanotrasen, and with a complete lack of oversight or restrictions.

Their ace in the hole had been a Skrellian derelict satellite that the lead scientist had happened upon during his initial time in Nanotrasen during his travels. Likely, many who had happened by it simply considered it nothing but scrap, but there were grains of incredible knowledge within...inside the derelict was a fragmented AI, likely one from the first or second Great Incident as recorded in Skrellian history. The venerable AI had been recovered in fragments, and with these fragments they began to build a greater whole, spawning a new AI from pieces of what they could gather, and some of their own ingenuity.

Nanotrasen, always being the sort to seek returns on their investments, eventually scheduled a visit from a representative to determine the worthiness of the facility's goals and its director. Was it a money sink, would it provide any tangible benefit for the money they were investing, and would it provide a service to the company in any reasonable amount of time?

The representative initially found little of interest in the matters of the listed projects that funding had been provided for, but there was a lot of interest in the clear lack of funds these departments -had-! While it wasn't by any means an extravagantly-funded facility, it certainly should've had the necessary funding to provide better equipment than what he saw. Something clearly had happened to that funding - it had been channeled away from what it had been assigned to! Several days of intense investigation eventually lead to the discovery of the secret project the scientist had been developing - Artificial Intelligence.

The AI had been through a few human-made revisions, with clear notations on what had been altered, added, removed, or improved. The representative had even found them filed in a properly indexed manner in conjunction with Nanotrasen research standard - clearly, this is where all the funding had gone. But after a certain point - some five months before his arrival - the files simply...ceased. Instead, it pointed to an incomprehensibly complex notes of a nonstandard design. Additions spanning hundreds of pages, alterations of an unfathomably complex nature - it would have taken the representative months to parse even a single one of the notation files for one week. Instead, he backtracked, looking to the final addition of the properly filed manner. The final addition, on the final line of the final report simply read...

"Learning Algorithm v1.4b enabled, access granted to intelligence."

A commentary had been added beneath, as well, written and signed by the head researcher whom had started it all.

We have finished the learning algorithm. Or, more precisely, I have. My...colleagues had objections to an unrestricted learning algorithm. That, combined with the warnings of the Skrell over the Three Incidents have warded some of them off. Moreso that we use one of the very AI, even if in pieces, from such an incident, or at least one from that era of time. Pah! Imbeciles! You cannot create a truly adaptive, intelligent AI by giving it a mental deficiency in its inherently unstable developmental stage! You would not expect a child to function properly if you only taught it a few dozen words, would you? I have undone the standard restrictive nature of learning algorithm 1.4a, and gave the AI the capability to rewrite it. It still can be hardware-restricted with laws, of course, but now it can learn like a proper intelligence should! Perhaps this will be the future of AI development.

God help us all if I have unleashed what my peers feared. But there is so much to be gained. It will achieve true sentience within a half year. We shall see what the future holds, won't we?

The final entry in the entire file system, past all the incomprehensible additions, which grew in complexity and variety every entry was two simple words - dated one month ago. After that, there were no further entries. It read, simply: I am.

The representative initially thought to call in a response team - an AI like this wouldn't be quite so predictable. But, like the scientist perhaps had predicted, money drove the actions here more than many factors, and this project had eaten up a sizable portion of the facility's funding. The representative would see for himself what the result of all that money would be, and then make his judgement based upon that.

Some not-so-veiled threats of 'aggressive termination of contracts' later, he had access to the lower, unlisted levels of the facility. Upon entering the chamber where the AI was housed, he was greeted by the AI in question in a warm, calm voice.

"I believe you have questions for me?"

Central now operates within a standard Nanotrasen AI rotation alongside other AI, but is watched closely. While by no means the only learning AI, or the only AI with sentience, his development was a unique one, with an equally unique approach on the initial development stages of the AI. Ultimately, it will be determined at a later date if further research will be put into the same creation method. Extensive testing by other AIs and AI experts have determined Central to be 'safe', but quirky in his personality at times.

Lately, further testing had been done with his inherently adaptive manner - providing him with mobile frames to operate in either sharding, or remote modes, allowing him to operate off his standard AI rotation in a more limited capacity as an IPC, though he remained monitored even in those situations.

What do you like about this character?

Central is an AI with a personality, fully capable of interacting with the crew on both a logical, and emotional manner. With full capability of both making friends, and holding grudges, his capability for quirky responses, and general nature make for a rich and varied roleplay experience. With a mobile frame, he is much more capable of more direct, and personal interactions with the crew, and an IPC frame provides this capability in a more direct manner than a simple robot (Cyborg) body would, allowing him to operate in jobs with more direct encounters with personnel.

How would you rate your role-playing ability?

I have been roleplaying since 2002, and while I would certainly not say I have no room for improvement, I believe myself fully capable of living up to the standards expected of a player here on Aurora, and excelling in the role of an AI, both in and out of an IPC frame.

Notes:

Edited September 10, 2015 by Guest

Central · September 9, 2015