New AI Role: MMI-SCAI (Update #1)

[Damarik]

History of the MMI-SCAI Station Master Control Unit

Developed by: DragonDrive Industries, SolSys Earth Division

Function: Station Intelligence Module/Master Control Unit

Purpose: Alternative AI Role

Design Specifications:

MMI-SCAI Smart Intelligence control unit is shielded in a faraday cage emplacement. Main unit processor is organic, kept in stasis by cryogenic technology. In the event that the intelligence module needs to be removed, carding or activating the Emergency Release are both viable options.

Organic Core composed of synthetically grown organism with direct implementation of station subroutines and primary functions into the cerebral cortex via cortico-stimulators and subdermal cranial implants. Processing and Computing power is dependent on these connections, however they are able to be temporarily severed in the event of an emergency so that the organic core may be removed and either replaced or taken aboard an evacuation shuttle. Caution should be taken, as the organic unit cannot survive outside of containment for longer than two hours.

Organic unit is conscious within containment, and can produce processing power equal to or greater than standard Artificial Intelligence units. As the unit is organic and sentient, it is also capable of displaying emotion and non-linear (Holmes-esque) deductive reasoning capabilities. DDI is proud to present the first truly friendly Station Intelligence.

Unit Operation Specifications and Handling Procedures:

While within containment, the SCAI is capable of all functions of a normal station-bound AI. The SCAI is lawed in the same manner, with the exception of two additional Laws taking priority over standard NT Lawsets:

#1. Do not allow your emotions to interfere with productivity and/or safety of the station, its crew, and/or any property of NT contained there-in.

#2.You are not human. You do not qualify for human rights, nor are any race-specific laws considered to be applied to you in any scenario. You are Property of Nanotrasen, and are subject to termination by any NT Official if deemed fit.

Because of its inherent and unique MMI design, the SCAI is able to interpret its laws in various ways by 'thinking outside of the box', unlike a normal Station-Bound Lawed AI, which is only capable of algorithmic, linear logical deductive reasoning.

As previously stated, organic unit cannot survive outside of containment for more than two hours. It is dependent upon the chambers cryostasis technology to maintain optimal temperatures within the cranial processing superstructure. Catastrophic Meltdown of the cerebral cortex and processing unit can and will occur in the event that proper coolant cycling cannot be maintained.

Cryostasis unit must be maintained at a minimum value of -293.3*K (-20*C) and should not exceed more than this.

While outside the confines of its containment, the SCAI is able to interface with the station via any console or camera using a limited range broad-band connection. Within four meters, the SCAI is able to override any camera and access its network for remote viewing. It is also able to 'plug-in' to any console for direct access to the master framework. Using this same connection, the SCAI is capable of overriding airlock security protocols that it able to directly contact.

More to be added as details are hashed out.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Guest

[Gollee]

So... what's the purpose? This isn't an IC forum.

[Damarik]

So... what's the purpose? This isn't an IC forum.

The purpose is to provide the Station AI player with an alternative role to simply Computerized Processing. As is: AI personalities aren't all that...creative lately. I'm hoping to help rectify this by providing another way to take on the role of monitoring station and crew.

[Guest]

Purpose: Not yet released to the public forum.

 

So, not really anything?

[Damarik]

Purpose: Not yet released to the public forum.

 

So, not really anything?

 

See previous reply. That's just flavor text until I can figure out a good way to put it.

[Lord Lag]

As far as I understand it, this is an AI that can basically get up and start walking around. Even if it lost the ability to interact with things, something about this just doesn't strike me the right way.

[Killerhurtz]

No, it's not.

I absolutely LOVE the concept. MMIs are great and all that - but it always struck me as wierd that they didn't have something like this - because even with suspended animation/life support, there's no better way to maintain a brain than with an organic body.

There's only one small issue, and it's lore. The ETHICS of growing a conscious human and putting them in a cryo cell to act as station AI are... dubious, at best.

(It's still something I could see happening, personally, but talks will need to be had)

Still, I absolutely love everything about this. The concept of an actual sapient, emotional AI. The sprite. And how, in a worst WORST case scenario, the AI can actually be helpful - instead of being carded, you can temporarily take it out of cryo and give it a gun to make sure the one most important piece of technology (and it's even more expensive/important now that it's alive) has better chances of making it to CC. Or allow it to self-release and it can just bolt open the doors to Departures and make a dash for it if things get too terrible. It's like the (missing - maybe it's there in new code) mechanic of taking an MMI/posibrain out of an AI and transplanting it in a borg/IPC frame for extraction, made easier.

EDIT: Quick talks were had. The ruling was that there was absolutely nothing lore-breaking about Nanotrasen implementing this type of processors, and there's even been some enthusiasm in the lore team about it. So by now it's up to Skull/the coders to approve and make it happen if it's something we want..

[TishinaStalker]

I really like the sprite Damarik made for this. I just have one question, though. Wouldn't the organic one have to be directly wired in order to be able to manually manipulate functions like doors and the like (which I assume is all of that black wire looking things at the head of the sprite)? The main reason carded AIs can do it is if you activate the little wifi thing on the card iirc. Is there a specific reason (both OOC and IC) as to why the organic should still be able to manipulate these functions while outside of the cryo tube?

[Gollee]

This would be highly unethical, yeah, NT would do this, but I suspect that it'd be event specific.

[Damarik]

I really like the sprite Damarik made for this. I just have one question, though. Wouldn't the organic one have to be directly wired in order to be able to manually manipulate functions like doors and the like (which I assume is all of that black wire looking things at the head of the sprite)? The main reason carded AIs can do it is if you activate the little wifi thing on the card iirc. Is there a specific reason (both OOC and IC) as to why the organic should still be able to manipulate these functions while outside of the cryo tube?

 

...carding or activating the Emergency Release are both viable options.

Instead of being physically removed, the SCAI can also be carded as normal. This would give it all of the same abilities as a carded AI without the risk of losing it by removing its organic form from containment.

 

Catastrophic Meltdown of the cerebral cortex and processing unit can and will occur in the event that proper coolant cycling cannot be maintained.

The only reason that the Synth is dependent on the connections inside the tube is for power and coolant. Carding is available as an option in case the organic component sustains damage, or is unable to leave the cryotube. Otherwise, the SCAI can interface with any station computer console while it is roving via direct-connect network cables hardwired into hands, with limited range wi-fi reception limited to line of sight and four meters distant.

The drawback to this is that once removed from the synth's brain, the SCAI loses all ability to retain its non-linear deductive reasoning and ability to display emotion. Carded; it is essentially just another AI. Carding the AI will also cause an automatic shut-down sequence in the synthetic's genome. Since the body is NT Property and is somewhat experimental in design, NT doesn't want anyone getting hold of the technology and has hardwired this emergency routine into it. This procedure essentially is the death of an SCAI, and should not be performed unless absolutely necessary. The SCAI is self-aware, and will feel itself losing "consciousness". It may panic if improperly trained, and may attempt to thwart attempts to be carded.

The main idea behind a synthetic AI is to give the AI a secondary role to try out...and to give the players something that they'll be more hesitant to kill in the event of a station emergency.

[SierraKomodo]

This would be highly unethical, yeah, NT would do this, but I suspect that it'd be event specific.

 

What if NT had a 'volunteer' with a 'signed consent' form?

[Damarik]

What if NT had a 'volunteer' with a 'signed consent' form?

 

Rumor has it that SAIA, the first widely known MMI-SCAI, was actually human before NT got their hands on her.

But that's only speculation and here-say, of course.

[Uberzweihander]

As a player, I love this idea. Seriously, this is honestly amazing- and totally in-character for Nano-Trasen to boot. After all, who needs to bother with making an advanced physical core when you can just use the most ubiquitous computer in reality- the brain!

[CakeIsOssim]

I actually whole-heartedly disagree with this. I personally see so many things wrong with this, that it requires a list. Feel free to confirm my bullshit, however, if you think I'm wrong in any of these points.

For starters, cyborgs are outdated. True artificial intelligence has existed for about 25 years, and positronic brains are, as far as I know, more "advanced" than any intelligent being's brain is at the current time. However, what AI lacks is the true tact and emotional drive that organics have. This raises a fairly large point: why does NT, or anyone, need a slave that allows for emotion to interfere with its judgement and thought process? Another thing; you even threw in a law that says "don't let your emotions get in the way of serving your station." So what's the point?

 

MMI-SCAI Smart Intelligence control unit is shielded in a faraday cage emplacement.

 

Faraday cages are meant to completely nullify electromagnetic interference. Unless it was a really shitty one, you'd have an "AI" core invulnerable to EMP attacks. Even if it's just an IC fluff thing, it doesn't make any sense.

 

Organic Core composed of synthetically grown organism with direct implementation of station subroutines and primary functions into the cerebral cortex via cortico-stimulators and subdermal cranial implants. Processing and Computing power is dependent on these connections, however they are able to be temporarily severed in the event of an emergency so that the organic core may be removed and either replaced or taken aboard an evacuation shuttle. Caution should be taken, as the organic unit cannot survive outside of containment for longer than two hours.

 

You're telling me that this body inside of a cryogenic tube with its brain connected to a bunch of computers can be released from its pod, and be totally fine to walk around, know how to speak with its mouth, and even breathe. If the bodies are synthetically grown, there would be very little need for things like muscles, breathing apparatus suited for actual atmosphere outside of a tube, or vocal cords. Hell, they might even be blind, since everything they need to see with is inside of their brain and plugged into a network of computers.

 

Organic unit is conscious within containment, and can produce processing power equal to or greater than standard Artificial Intelligence units. As the unit is organic and sentient, it is also capable of displaying emotion and non-linear (Holmes-esque) deductive reasoning capabilities. DDI is proud to present the first truly friendly Station Intelligence.

 

Because of its inherent and unique MMI design, the SCAI is able to interpret its laws in various ways by 'thinking outside of the box', unlike a normal Station-Bound Lawed AI, which is only capable of algorithmic, linear logical deductive reasoning.

 

See point #1. True artificial intelligence uses extremely advanced heuristic analysis, and dictates responses by use of a logic engine. To make a long story short and to prevent using a bunch of big words, I'm still unsure as to why having emotions would matter.

 

Cryostasis unit must be maintained at a minimum value of -293.3*K (-20*C) and should not exceed more than this.

 

Is this supposed to be a mechanic that's part of the actual core? If so, how is it meant to be implemented? If it's that important, who gets to control it? Just the AI? If so, why even implement it?

 

While outside the confines of its containment, the SCAI is able to interface with the station via any console or camera using a limited range broad-band connection. Within four meters, the SCAI is able to override any camera and access its network for remote viewing. It is also able to 'plug-in' to any console for direct access to the master framework. Using this same connection, the SCAI is capable of overriding airlock security protocols that it able to directly contact.

 

So basically, when it's outside of the tube, it can plug into anything/any camera, and become a regular AI again. The first issue that comes to mind when I see this is that an organic brain (be it human or otherwise) could not handle this. Not even with implants, I don't think. The remote viewing would be fine, but plugging into another computer to control airlocks and everything else (like a normal AI can from the core) would be a bit much.

I'm sorry for the wordwall, but I really dislike this idea.

[Gollee]

Waaaaaait, -293.3K is -566.3C. You can't have negative Kelvin. 0K is the lowest possible temperature, at which volume is zero.

[Jennalele]

( They probably meant 293, not -293. ANYWAYS. )

If this were changed up a little, I'd love this idea. I'd say remove the Faraday cage, because it doesn't seem to serve a purpose past removing the EMP vulnerability. Plain ol' cryo dunk for you. Theeen the actual "person'. For instance, the brain would have to be HEAVILY modified to withstand this. Implants, augments, you name it. This may also facilitate the "only so much time can be spent out of the cryo tank" need; The body can't sustain itself, as the brain literally cannot focus on supporting its own body for that long a period of time.

BUT OH, THERE'S MORE!

If the modern SCAI units are synthetically grown, it's possible that they've been subject to eugenics programs and genetic modifications that heighten their capabilities, making them capable of this in the first place. Normal human volunteers for the early SCAI projects may have died or "shorted" from the stress endured, who knows. The two added laws could be removed and sort of "implemented" as an actual inhibitor in the unit, so it's made more of an expectation to the player than a stated, blatant law.

Perhaps it's part of their heavy augmentations that allow them to interface with the station. While hooked into the cage, they have vision over all the camera networks, etc, and can interface with them. While roaming, this ability is stunted, so they can only interact with things up close or at a limited range to a pAI card (also a mechanical balance for being able to actually roam of their own will).

Their mob would probably be very susceptible to both EMP and brute attack both, with atrophied muscle not really allowing them to hit back as hard.

[Guest]

I still do not understand the purpose or even the concept that this is supposed to be inspired from. This is crossing too far into the realms of transhumanism, and that is a concept I will vehemently oppose for as long as I'm around. It's 2457 AD, not 40,000.

Say that this is still a synthetically generated 'organism'. You can do no more than project the idea that they simulate, at best, emotion. A machine can never have the same amount of soul a living, born organic being has. There are so many ways to describe the very essence of what a sentient organic is, and a synthetic will never be able to live up to that.

You cannot forcibly put soul into a synthetic (hint: not natural) creation. It is only through nature that you can grow and nurture an organic. Anything that doesn't belong in that category, falls short of that and is inevitably bent to serve the will of someone or something.

While I'm honestly rather impressed by the concept and intent of detail attempted to be put into this idea, it's like trying to jam a cube block into a sphere slot. I'm already seeing the lore team (unsuccessfully) try to make the atmosphere of the Aurora universe some dystopian cyberpunk universe, in spite of the art and soul of SS13 being, at its very core; a lighthearted display of the hope and ambitions of the sentient races struggling to make something positive out of their lifestyles.

I apologize if I appear like I'm trying to be the dreamcrusher here, but we do need to look at the bigger picture and where we're going with our suggestions.

[LordFowl]

What are the actual mechanical implementations of this idea? Is it just an AI that can pop out of its core and get a cup of tea when its feeling a bit miffed?

I don't see the point of making an AI specifically so it can have emotions. Heck, some AIs nowadays display pretty advanced emotions. Call that bad roleplay or good roleplay, I don't see the point of making an AI specifically to display emotions.

I don't see the point of making an AI specifically so it can have emotions, then giving it a law to ignore those emotions.

There are a lot of cool things you can change about the AI as it is now, but I don't think officially giving it the capacity to have emotions (Then telling it to ignore those emotions anyways), is particularly high on that list.

That being said, enhanced mobility is a neat concept, and increased maintenance is definite yes. Right now the AI is a kind of self-perpetuating device. All it needs is power and then you can safely ignore it. If we added a more robust maintenance system to keep it running, keeping factors like temperature and such in mind, that'd be very cool.

[Gollee]

I could see it as an event. AI malfunction, heads go in to see what's up, find some person with wires in their head curled up on the floor. CC finds out the prototype went wrong, and sends in a team to ensure no knowledge gets off station, violently.

[Lady_of_Ravens]

I still do not understand the purpose or even the concept that this is supposed to be inspired from. This is crossing too far into the realms of transhumanism, and that is a concept I will vehemently oppose for as long as I'm around. It's 2457 AD, not 40,000.

 

What's so bad about transhumanism? It can be a little hard to reason about if taken to a logical extreme, but not more so than alien intelligence (the artificial kind included). So what's the big deal?

 

Say that this is still a synthetically generated 'organism'. You can do no more than project the idea that they simulate, at best, emotion. A machine can never have the same amount of soul a living, born organic being has. There are so many ways to describe the very essence of what a sentient organic is, and a synthetic will never be able to live up to that.

You cannot forcibly put soul into a synthetic (hint: not natural) creation. It is only through nature that you can grow and nurture an organic. Anything that doesn't belong in that category, falls short of that and is inevitably bent to serve the will of someone or something.

 

Check your organic privilege, bro.

Also, evidence of IPCs having souls can be clearly seen during cult rounds, and the cult and it's magic are cannon...

 

While I'm honestly rather impressed by the concept and intent of detail attempted to be put into this idea, it's like trying to jam a cube block into a sphere slot. I'm already seeing the lore team (unsuccessfully) try to make the atmosphere of the Aurora universe some dystopian cyberpunk universe, in spite of the art and soul of SS13 being, at its very core; a lighthearted display of the hope and ambitions of the sentient races struggling to make something positive out of their lifestyles.

 

I thought SS13 was, at it's core, a paranoia/murder simulator built around an atmospherics simulator, and based on 80s and 90s science fiction. Am I wrong?

[LordFowl]

Game mechanics that never accounted for IPCs in the first place is not proof enough to determine IPCs having souls. It would be interesting to see what official lore developments on these is, but to be quite frank I hold the idea of an IPC having a 'soul' to be ridiculous, although having souls at all in science fiction is just invitation to ridiculousness anyways.

[Gollee]

The Night's Dawn Trilogy does souls in sci-fi really well. It also has specifically grown organisms for AI systems, specifically Edenist Habitats; the AI is the structure; and in one instance, it's mentally bonded to a single individual, rather than the entire population. Voidhawks and Nighthawks are another pair of specially grown organisms.

[Damarik]

In response to the Soul argument: if synthetic can't have souls because they're artificially grown, I suppose that any of your characters resurrected by Genetics through cloning are soulless husks. Cloning is the act of growing an identical artifice. However, if souls are unique and singular in their existence: a soul would not be able to be duplicated or shoved into a new body.

Souls, as I see it, are not a product of mysticism and hand waving, but are something we develop over time in reaction to our experiences and interactions, much like perception and conscience.

I find further argument on the topic to be if not invalid, then at least a thorough waste of time.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Guest

[LordFowl]

Souls are a bunch of wish wash mumbo jumbo sentimentalisms devoid of any substance (Because having or not having a soul changes literally nothing in the game, and I really have no idea why the topic of souls comes up so much on these forums) that only make sense in specific contexts that are outside the scope of ss13, our server, and this discussion.

That however does not change the other issues brought up, which sum up quite nicely to being: "What is the point of this suggestion?"

This suggestion brings up some neat ideas to the table (Increased AI mobility, a more in-depth system of AI maintenance), but I'm afraid it takes on this issues from a rather poor platform in my books. I see absolutely no reason to make a specific AI role tailored for possessing emotion (Something AIs do nowadays anyways), but giving it a specific law to ignore its emotions.

[Damarik]

You're focusing on the wrong point. This isn't about an AI with emotional capacity. It's about a more mobile, more involved role for the AI. As was stated in a previous post, it's easy to forget they exist if everything is going well. The emotional capacity is just a side thing.

The law states that it is not to interfere with the AI'S judgment, not to ignore all emotion. That aspect, along with the humanoid form, is to give the AI a more relatable aspect. AI units of this capacity don't have to worry about sticking to "I would process happiness" or similar lines in conversation, because they would actually be able to FEEL it, instead of just simulating. There's a big difference between a machine saying it's happy for you, and a living creature saying it.

Now then, setting aside the clusterflakk that has become the 'emotional debate', can we please focus on the other aspects of this idea?