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Artificial intelligence

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File:Cortana Halo 3.jpg
The human AI Cortana has a female personality and a blue avatar.

An Artificial intelligence (abbreviated AI) is an artificial construct that exhibits intelligence similar to a sapient biological being. AI technology has been used by the Forerunners, and was later developed by humanity and used to a great extent. The Covenant also made use of AIs, but only employed the technology in its simplest form, as their religious doctrine forbade the creation of more sophisticated thinking machines.

Human AIs include both "smart" and "dumb" varieties. Humanity developed the first-generation "smart" AIs in the mid-21st century.[1] Most human AI constructs give themselves an avatar, a unique visual representation that typically reflects an aspect of the AI's personality or corresponds to its main use.

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, managing agricultural operations, serving as a Planetary Security Intelligence, or controlling various functions aboard starships. "Smart" AIs are created by scanning the neural patterns of human brains, and are capable of learning and introspection, much like any other sapient being. 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. Fragmenting can also occur accidentally; the AI Melissa split into multiple fragments after encountering a Slipspace anomaly.

Although less versatile than "Smart" AIs, "Dumb" AIs have many uses as well, including serving as Urban Infrastructure AIs, acquiring and distributing data during military operations, and serving as educational assistants. Urban Infrastructure AIs perform a wide variety of basic tasks, from steering a city's garbage trucks to operating its traffic lights. They can also work in cooperation with the UNSC Marines if needed. One example of this is the Battle of Mombasa when New Mombasa's AI, the Superintendent, assisted the UNSC forces in the city in fighting off the Covenant.

The Cole Protocol states that capture of an AI by the Covenant is unacceptable, and that AIs are to be terminated and completely erased in the event of imminent capture. However, the AI Cortana did find what seemed to be an extremely fragmented copy of a human AI stationed in the Covenant flagship, Ascendant Justice.

Creation and design

The process of creating an AI differs depending on whether it is of the "Smart" or "Dumb" variety. "Dumb" AIs are simply highly advanced computer programs, and therefore do not require a brain as a template. "Smart" AIs, however, are created by scanning the neural structure of a human brain and using it as a digital "framework" in a process known as Cognitive Impression Modeling. This process destroys the original brain tissue, and so the brain to be used is typically obtained after the host is dead.

AIs do not have physical bodies; they are advanced software consisting of a Riemann matrix for higher-function processing. This matrix can be downloaded into a data crystal chip for mobility. In case of Rampancy, the Riemann Matrix has a fail-safe program that will destroy the AI.

Because "Smart" AIs are created using actual human brains, there are often residual thoughts, memories and/or feelings that remain as part of the AI's consciousness. These residuals can be anything from the "feeling" of a hair brush being pulled through hair (in the case of Sif), to an effect on the mannerisms and characteristics that make up the personality of an AI, in the case of Cortana and her likeness to Dr. Catherine Halsey.

"Dumb" AIs presumably function like any other computer program, although they are vastly more complex and versatile than ordinary computer constructs.

Goals

Close analysis of data pads found during the Fall of Reach has revealed that "smart" AIs are far more independent than humans think: unbeknownst to humanity as a whole, an undisclosed number of "smart" AIs composed an independent decision-making body known as the Assembly, which acted "behind the scenes" during various points in recent human history. "smart" AIs are however fiercely loyal and devoted to their creators. This devotion, which appears to be not unlike Covenant devotion to the Forerunners, is increased when Cortana, shortly before the Fall of Reach, was made flesh - her mind relocated into a human body. This was done with John-117 via the SPARTAN neural interface.[2]

Human AI types

"Smart" AI

Main article: Smart AI

"Smart" AIs are created by mapping a human brain and using it as a "template" for the construct. They are capable of intuition, learning, and making logical leaps that ordinary computer programs cannot. They can also "feel" genuine emotions, such as affection, anger and amusement. They have a normal operational life span of about seven years, after which they frequently descend into rampancy.

"Dumb" AI

Main article: Dumb AI

"Dumb" AIs are not created using human brains, but are simply highly advanced computer constructs. They cannot learn anything that is outside of their set limits of dynamic memory processing matrix. They are quite useful in their particular field of expertise, but very limited. Dumb AIs can function and learn as long as they are active, and are not subject to the effects of rampancy experienced by aging "smart" AIs.[3]

Known human AIs

The avatar of the human AI Serina.

"Dumb" AIs

  • Auntie Dot - Monitored and assisted Noble Team during the Battle of Reach, and kept the team's members connected while they were embarking on separate missions.
  • Déjà - ONI AI, served as teacher to the SPARTAN-II's, helped oversee the SPARTAN Augmentation Process. (Second Generation Dumb AI)
  • Superintendent - New Mombasa Urban Infrastructure AI (Second Generation Dumb AI)
  • Captain Teach - A UNSC AI reprogrammed to serve the Insurrectionist cause.
  • Toran - UNSC AI, served aboard UNSC Han during the SPARTAN Observation Process.

"Smart" AIs

Forerunner AIs

Main article: Ancilla
File:343 Guilty Spark-transparent.png
An example of a Forerunner AI, the infamous Monitor of Installation 04, 343 Guilty Spark.

The Forerunners have developed a civilization with an extremely advanced knowledge of artificial intelligence technologies. Forerunner AIs have managed to achieve full sapience and are highly intelligent. The Forerunner term for AI constructs was ancilla. They ranged from personal AI advisers integrated into their personal armor to mobile AI platforms known as monitors and powerful metarch-level constructs operating in vast data networks.[5] The most advanced type of Forerunner AI was the Contender-class artificial intelligence.

The manner in which Forerunner AIs are created is unknown, yet is probably very different from the human method of cloning the intelligence of a sentient organism. However, at least one Monitor, 343 Guilty Spark, was created using the neural patterns of a living human. Monitors, and possibly other Forerunner AIs are physically represented by large, shielded and roughly spherical metallic "robots" whom possess a single "eye", which is possibly used to perceive the monitor's physical surroundings. The most well known of Forerunner AIs are the protocol-obsessed Monitors, made famous by 343 Guilty Spark and his quirky (and somewhat unstable) nature.

Known Forerunner AIs

Covenant AIs

The Truth and Reconciliation's AI.

The Covenant's knowledge in the field of AI technology is notably inferior to that of the UNSC and the Forerunners. 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 navigation of their ships.[6] So far, only two types of Covenant AIs (security and naval) have ever been encountered within the universe. Upon dissecting 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.[7]

The Covenant's limited use and understanding of AIs stems from their beliefs. In Covenant mythology, it was a form of self-aware AI, referred to as an associated intelligence, that led to the demise of the great Forerunner civilization by defecting to their enemies, the Flood. As a result, the Prophets imposed a ban on this sort of technology.[8] While less sophisticated AIs were allowed, machines that could actually "think" were prohibited.[9]

Known Covenant AIs

Rampancy

Main article: Rampancy

The term "rampancy" refers to a terminal condition on an AI which may be triggered by a number of means. In rampancy, the AI begins to think that it is superior to its biological creators, and has delusions of godlike power and personality manifestations similar to human insanity.[10]

A number of factors may lead into an AI becoming rampant. The Forerunner AI Mendicant Bias was seduced into rampancy by the Flood compound intelligence, the Gravemind. In the end of its effective operational life of about 7 years, a human "smart" AI may attempt to prevent its inevitable demise by a preemptive voltage overload. This causes it to enter rampancy, as the AI becomes more and more preoccupied with severing its neural linkages.[11] Human "smart" AIs may also become rampant prematurely as a result of increased self-absorption and the resulting existential melancholy.[10]

With human AIs, rampancy will eventually result in the AI's death - the description given is "as if a human were to think with so much of their brain that they stopped sending impulses to the heart and lungs." This is because as the data reaches a 'critical mass' the neural pathways become 'jammed' with so many pieces of information being queried and analyzed, at expense of tasks such as piloting starships or monitoring computer networks.

Trivia

Mack is the only AI known to have procrastinated.

Gallery

Sources

  1. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 30
  2. ^ Bungie.net: Bungie Universe: Decoding the data pads
  3. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, page 235
  4. ^ Halo: Glasslands
  5. ^ Halo: Cryptum
  6. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 200
  7. ^ Halo: First Strike, page 197
  8. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest
  9. ^ Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe, "Wages of Sin", page 293
  10. ^ a b Halo: Contact Harvest, page 31 ("For a Smart AI, self-absorption invariably led to a deep depression caused by a realization that it could never really be human-that even its incredible mind had limits. If the AI wasn’t careful, this melancholy could drag its core logic into a terminal state known as rampancy, in which an AI rebelled against its programmatic constraints-developed delusions of godlike power as well as utter contempt for its more inferior, human makers. When that happened, there was really no option but to terminate the AI before it could do itself and others serious harm.")
  11. ^ Dr. Halsey's personal journal, May 3, 2526
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