Artificial intelligence: Difference between revisions

{{Status|Canon}}

{{Wikipedia}}

An '''artificial intelligence''' ('''AI''') is an artificial construct that exhibits intelligence similar, and in some categories far superior, to a sapient biological being. AI technology was used by the [[Forerunner]]s, and was later developed by [[human]]ity. According to the Forerunner [[Technological Achievement Tiers|Technological Tier]] ranking system, the extensive use of AI is one of the components for sociological and technological advancement.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/detail/95b4f4f02bf84038bd434c8b1dd5f994/tiers-of-technology '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Tiers of Technology'']</ref> The [[Covenant]] also made use of AI technology, but only in its simplest form, as their [[Covenant religion|religious doctrine]] forbade the creation of more sophisticated thinking machines.<ref name="ch188">'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''page 188''</ref>

==Human AIs==

Humans use AIs to perform a wide variety of tasks. The duties of "smart" AIs include, but are not limited to, overseeing planetary shipping operations,<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 28''</ref> managing agricultural operations,<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 74''</ref> serving as a [[Planetary Security Intelligence]],<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 184''</ref> or controlling various functions aboard starships such as weapons and point defense systems. "Smart" AIs are created by scanning the neural patterns of human brains, and are capable of learning and introspection. Some human "smart" AIs, such as Cortana, are able to separate themselves into multiple runtimes or "fragments". This can be beneficial when the AI needs to perform multiple tasks or be in multiple places simultaneously.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 29''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''page 128''</ref> Fragmenting can also occur accidentally; the AI [[Melissa]] split into multiple fragments after encountering a [[slipspace anomaly]]. The sheer volume of information and calculations a "smart" artificial intelligence can process is astounding; Cortana was capable of performing five billion simultaneous operations in, as she put it, "the time it takes for me to tell you my name".<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', "[[Human Weakness]]", ''page 271''</ref>

==Forerunner AIs==

{{Main|Ancilla}}

The [[Forerunner]]s developed a civilization with an extremely advanced knowledge of artificial intelligence technologies. The Forerunner term for AI constructs was [[ancilla]]. They ranged from personal AI advisers integrated into their [[Forerunner personal armor|personal armor]] to mobile AI platforms known as [[monitor]]s and powerful [[metarch|Metarch-Class]] constructs operating in vast data networks.<ref>'''[[Halo: Cryptum]]'''</ref> The most advanced type of Forerunner AI was the [[Contender-class artificial intelligence]], an example of which is the traitorous [[Mendicant Bias]].<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', ''[[Terminal (Halo 3)|Terminals]]''</ref>

==Precursor AIs==

Precursor technology was extremely advanced, to the point that the Forerunners labeled it [[Technological Achievement Tiers|Tier 0]], or "Transsentient". Precursors based their technology upon what Forerunners called [[neural physics]]. The '''[[knowledge engine|Knowledge Engine]]''' is an artificial intelligence construct based on [[neural physics]] used by the [[Precursor]]s, considered analogous to the [[Forerunner]]s' [[ancilla]].<ref>''[[Halo: Warfleet]]'', p. 91</ref> The Precursors used knowledge engines to guide their vessels as they traveled between worlds.<ref>''Halo: Warfleet'', p. 8</ref>

===Known Precursor AIs===

==Covenant AIs==

The [[Covenant]]'s knowledge in the field of AI technology is notably inferior to that of the UNSC and the Forerunners.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 309''</ref> The AIs used by the Covenant are comparable to human "dumb" AIs, as they are non-sentient and are only designed to perform a certain task; for example, their starship AIs have no function beyond the piloting and [[Astrogation|navigation]] of their ships.<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''page 200''</ref> Sometimes referred to as the ships' "spirits",<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', "The Return", ''page 496''</ref> they lack any form of sentience and are only used to control and pilot the ship,{{Ref/Reuse|glass}} in addition to operating the intricate systems required in [[glassing]] operations and presumably make the necessary calculations for Slipspace jumps.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', "The Return", ''page 494''</ref> So far, only two types of Covenant AIs (security and naval) have ever been encountered by the UNSC. Upon dissecting [[Ascendant Justice's AI|a Covenant AI]] aboard the ''[[Ascendant Justice]]'', [[Cortana]] theorized that it may have been based on captured UNSC technology, altered to fit within their theocratic society.<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 197''</ref><ref>'''Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Halo Universe''', ''page 235''</ref>

==Banished AIs==

[[Iratus]] is an artificial intelligence construct created using a [[Jiralhanae]] donor and aligned with the [[Banished]].{{Ref/Site|Id=S2StoryHub|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/halo-infinite|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Halo Infinite|Detail=Season 02 Lone Wolves - Story|D=06|M=05|Y=2022}}