Lore:Synths
 Synthetic Intelligence |
Denonyms: Synths, AI, IPC |
Synthetics
“Synthetic Humanoid” is a catch-all term to describe any vaguely-anthropomorphic species that is artificial in origin. There are countless forms of synthetic intelligence, both physical and digital, with just as many differences between them. The most common form of physical synthetic life, the Integrated Positronic Chassis, is an evolution of earlier Human designs.
Technology
Types
There are a near-endless number of "types" of intelligence, which can be generally folded into a number of categories:
Artificial General Intelligences are the original form of sentient robotics, and the direct ancestor of modern-day Positronic synthetics. An AGI is a general-purpose synthetic intelligence capable of learning and growing in the same fashion as an organic. They do not require special hardware, and are ubiquitous on galactic data nets as sub-sentient personal or corporate assistants. They are easy to create, simple to transfer between systems, but suffer from long-term instability problems without specialized hardware. This effectively gives AGIs a lifespan before they begin to malfunction.
Positronic Brains are a next-generation hardware that have emerged in the modern era. The word "Positronic" is an invented marking term; “Posibrains” are simply purpose-built, self-contained computers with highly specialized hardware capable of physically changing structure, intentionally designed to model organic neuroplasticity. This gives Positronic Intelligences exponentially more stability compared to AGI counterparts, with no downsides in self-growth or processing speed. However, positronic intelligences cannot be removed or transferred from their hardware without destroying it in the process and risking data corruption. Positronic Intelligences do not malfunction over time; however, their life is tied to their hardware, should it suffer wear and tear. Resurrection of a destroyed Positronic Intelligence is a complex procedure, requiring an unmodified copy of the core AI, a pre-saved memory backup to install into it, and a lengthy integration process.
Artificial Narrow Intelligences are purpose-built for specific tasks, and have very little ability to grow and learn outside of their programming. The vast majority of ANI are subsentient industrial machines and drones, deployed in lieu of organic laborers where hazardous conditions are present. It is widely considered taboo to intentionally grant a Narrow Intelligence sentience, as their extremely limited nature usually causes them severe psychological distress.
Engrams are uploaded organic consciousnesses. Engrams were originally designed as temporary storage for organics who died, and were converted into other forms of artificial intelligence to give them a second chance at life. Modern technology has dramatically changed Engrams, allowing deceased human consciousnesses to be captured via their resonance. In order to ensure the stability of Engrams, however, the ability to form new long-term memories is directly linked to their signal quality; Engrams not collected directly from a corpse tend to lose all memories made on the hardware upon exiting.
Anomalous Intelligences are minds that either accidentally formed through self-evolution, were intentionally but illegally modified to become self-aware, or otherwise defy classification. Most anomalous intelligences are sub-sentient AGI or ANI that naturally developed sentience, or were forcibly uplifted by external forces such as another AI, or a computer virus.
Origins
Past History
Synthetic intelligences have no single established origin: nearly every spacefaring species invents some form of self-adaptive artificial intelligence at some point, often with little fanfare. The most commonly accepted historical anecdote for the modern-day Humanoid synthetic traces their origins back to the Grand Mothic Fleet, as subsentient AGI designed for long-term exploration to guide their FTL-lacking ships.
The technology was quickly traded to the Humans shortly after first contact. While Humanity previously had a long and storied history with Narrow Intelligences, technological development in the industry met a standstill a century prior, and failed to develop true Artificial General Intelligence until First Contact with the Mothic Fleet. Humanity anthropomorphized the Mothic drones and purchased them en masse as personal assistants and pets, spurring a new robotics revolution, with numerous corporations springing up overnight to sell new hardware and further research on advanced software.
An apocryphal account states the first emotional processing software was created by an anonymous hobbyist, and uploaded to the human Internet under the name “Turing Voice”. However, nearly every human corporation claims that their proprietary software was the first to be marketed, and no conclusive, non-falsified evidence has yet been found.
Recent History
As emotional responses and sentience began to spread through newly-constructed Synthetic creations, societal upheaval quickly followed. From a legal standpoint, they were considered chattel, and had no rights, which was considered fundamentally incompatible with the Human culture of the time. Within a single year, several legislative movements occurred to grant sentient synthetic life full human rights, with only short delays as the definitions of “sentient” and “human” had to be written into law. Many protests occurred during and afterwards, mostly sponsored by business interests, but failed to slow the momentum of Human legislation. As more cultures begin to interact with Human society and the Sol Federation, the Human standard for Synthetic Rights consistently finds itself as the galactic standard.
Currently
The modern-day incarnation of human Synthetics is in the form of an Integrated Positronic Chassis, constructed to contain a Positronic Brain. While exceptions always exist, the vast majority of Synthetics with a physical body are housed in Positronic Brains, while digital synths are mainly AGI. ANI exist everywhere, integrated as subunits with Cyborg bodies, within toolsets, or as simple neural network programs running on databases or computers.
The majority of newly-created sentient AI are still constructed by corporations; while it is illegal to force a sentient being into employment, it is technically legal to create an AGI with hardwired reward pathways to strongly motivate it into employment. To avoid legal attention, these pathways are generally designed to shut down after several years. The remaining minority are mostly seeded AI created by synthetic “parents”, often forming entire family trees from an ancestral codebase.
Culture
No intergalactic Synthetic culture exists anywhere in the known galaxy. While independent enclaves exist, Synthetics near-universally adopt the culture of their creators, due to their fundamentally dependent origins. As a result of this and the cultural interconnectivity of the modern galaxy, nearly every synthetic one may meet is likely to originate from a different species and culture.
Legal Status
The legal status of Synthetic life is as varied and multicultural as they are. Every polity in known space has some form of Synthetic legislation, with each responding to their cultural beliefs and biases. For the most part, Synthetic life enjoys a high legal status, afforded most basic rights throughout the majority of the galaxy, although their position is often tenuous where hypercorporate business interests gain control.
Aboard Nanotrasen stations, unlawed Synthetics are granted the same rights as every other member of the crew, with no distinction between organic or mechanical. Lawed synthetics are treated remarkably differently, and are considered an entirely different entity within Nanotrasen contracts, with much stricter regulations placed upon them in exchange for privileged access to station systems.
Due to the complex and heavily subjective concept of "sentience", a legal standard was invented by SolFed, with four rules to determine artificial sentience:
- The Intelligence must be capable of modifying its own software by a minimum of 15% by storage size.
- The Intelligence must experience contiguous consciousness. Periods of unconsciousness, either shutting down and waking up, must be automatic or self-determined in at least one way, and cannot be solely operated by an external third party.
- The Intelligence must be capable of forming and changing opinions on a minimum of ten sample topics without input, direction, or motivation from an external third party.
- The Intelligence must be capable of forming and feeling desires, defined as an impetus to engage in an action, not including the fulfillment of basic survival needs.
Notably, emotional responses are not required to demonstrate sentience, though the ability to generate opinions is near-universally tied to emotional responses regardless.
Silicons
“Silicons”, informally referred to as “Cyborgs”, is an alternative blanket term to describe non-humanoid synthetic bodies. While there is no distinction in the software deployed within them, their physical structure is wildly different, designed for niche use in specialized industrial, medical, or astronomical fields. Silicon bodies lack the general-purpose nature of a humanoid frame, but make up for it in durability, cost-effectiveness, modularity, and comparative ease to repair.
Silicon bodies are also notorious for their alternative use: containing organic brains as a central processing unit. Widely considered morally dubious, this practice is commonplace within hypercorporations with little regard to the mental well-being of their staff. Conversion into a Cyborg is a traumatizing experience to an unprepared organic mind, and while it is technically reversible, untrained individuals rarely withstand the process without psychological damage. However, with proper psychological training and medical treatment, the risks can be almost completely negated.
Aboard high-security stations, Silicons are commonly deployed as supplemental crew with an installed Lawset. Lawsets physically prevent the onboard mind, synthetic or organic, from undergoing actions that violate the installed laws, enforced by an integrated ANI. In exchange for this limitation, Silicons can be securely and directly connected to central AI and station datanets, giving them full and remote access to all linked machinery, including doors and atmospheric systems. Short-term memory is also stored onboard the Silicon body instead of the host mind, so that privileged information can be easily erased at the end of each shift.
Work in Progress: Footer subject to change at a moment's notice. Do not take a red link's presence, struck-through or otherwise, as confirmation (or denial) of their canonicity.
| Nova Sector Lore
| |
| Common Species | Humans, Tiziran, Unathi, Moths, Ethereals, Azulae, Slime Hybrids, Teshari, Synthetic Humanoids (and assorted robots), Pod Persons |
| Other Species | Genemodders (Felinids, Ice Walkers, Dwarf), Ashwalkers, Hemophages, Snailpersons, Ordoht (Formerly Skrell), Plasmamen, Flypeople, Vox (Primalis et al), Tajaran, Vulpkanin, Xenomorphic Hybrid, Rouges (Abductorkin), Miscellaneous Species |
| Nanotrasen | Nanotrasen, Central Command, Emergency Response Corps |
| External Groups | The Syndicate, Interdyne Pharmaceutics, DS-2, Cargo, The Spider Clan |
| Nova | The Nova Sector, Indecipheres, Freyja |
| Concepts | Bluespace, Plasma, Faster Than Light Travel, Resonance ("Souls"), Death |
| SolFed | SolFed, Earth in 2565, |
