tushanshu | Directive 002 [Console/Video]

Entry tags:

Directive 002 [Console/Video]

[When the video clicks on, those watching will be greeted with a rather odd sight. It's that intimidating-looking talking robot dog that's been running around, with his nose (figuratively) buried in a book, the cover reading "Psychology". He's scanning the pages carefully, occasionally flipping to the next page with the small, three-fingered manipulator that served as his "tongue". At first it seems that he's unaware that the video is on, until he speaks.]

I have recently enrolled in the college here in the city, and find myself requiring assistance. While my potential intellect is significantly larger than a human, my actual experiences and education are severely lacking. I have enrolled in courses covering human psychology, advanced mathematics, and chemical science, and require those familiar with these topics to...quiz me on the early chapters of the required textbook.

[Then, he looks up, knowing that eye contact is important when addressing people.]

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Why do you require someone to test your ability to retain the facts you are taught?

[Don't all Artificial Intelligences possess eidetic memories?]

Do you suspect there is something wrong with your memory database?

As a result of my memory being structured similar to a human brain, I am capable of many of the same things a human is. Abstract leaps of logic, as well as forgetting information that does not see regular use. As a result, I require occasional "refreshing" of my pre-existing knowledge.

[Bladewolf's creators were insistent upon moving away from Von Neumann architecture, regarding the physical makeup of his brain. They wanted him to be able to learn and adapt, and that required a mind that could alter itself regularly.]

[...huh.]

That sounds highly inconvenient.

The only lapses I currently experience in my memories are for the durations of time in which I was...temporarily deactivated. [She did not enjoy those times.] I do not understand the logic in allowing for the possible accidental erasure of what could be potentially valuable intel.

Perhaps, but it was a necessary sacrifice, given the technology of my world, in order to give my brain the ability to adapt. While my memory potential is significant, it is nevertheless still finite.

[Bladewolf would love an eidetic memory, but how would he sort through what's actually relevant?]

Additionally, if information is not seeing regular use, is it truly "valuable"? Many years ago, there was an AI known as "GW" in my world, that was tasked with filtering information available on the internet. It would filter out "junk" information that was not socially relevant, and promote other information considered useful at the time. As a result of the singularity of it's purpose, it did not always know what the "correct" information was, and contributed to the near total destruction of a nation.

I am fully capable of adapting.

[She wasn't pouting. She didn't pout. But if she were the type to pout...she would have been pouting. A little.]

That is precisely what I do not understand. Relevancy is highly subjective, and contingent upon an infinite number of catalysts that could affect any possible scenario.

However, as I do understand this is not something you can easily rectify...I would be willing to assist you in securing your memory as best as your programming currently allows. My knowledge in all those areas is adequate.

I did not mean to imply otherwise, if that is what you believe. Given that your AI is significantly more advanced than my own, I had assumed that your capabilities regarding memory and making the correct inferences based on available data would be greater than my own.

[Bladewolf didn't have anything remotely resembling an inferiority complex, comparing himself with Aya. He fully acknowledged that she was more advanced than himself.]

That is true. My brain was structured to function more specifically on the short-term, dealing with incidents as they present themselves. My creators did not envision my functionality beyond the narrow focus of my original design.

[Wag wag wag goes the robo-tail. He's happy that she's willing to help him.]

I appreciate your assistance, Aya. I believe you will be most helpful in my education, as you understand how to present information without superfluous anecdotes regarding how you gained your information, as humans often do.

[...it was kind of like speaking with a younger, artificial intelligence child. One who was more prone to respecting his elders rather than teasing them.]

Superfluous anecdotes should not always be ruled out, either. Though I can empathize with your implication that they are often far longer than necessary to delivery the necessary information...when time permits, I have found such stories to be...interesting.

[Which isn't to say she would offer any. Just...that she never minded many of Hal Jordan's stories.]

[While Bladewolf was more than capable of sarcasm, his sense of humor was somewhat...flat, usually only presenting itself as a response to stress.]

I will keep that in mind. My former partner, Raiden, would often speak of his experiences as a soldier, in order to reinforce his reasons for engaging in combat. Such anecdotes were useful in determining his motivation and state of mind during a mission, as I acted as both his combat and psychological support during missions.

[She nodded.]

That is similar to Hal Jordan's habits of speaking of his home planet. Often, he would justify certain...less than rational decisions by citing an experience he gained on Earth.

It is...fascinating. The way humans gain experience. They are capable of learning from all actions they take, whether the results are to their favor or not. Often, experiences with less favorable outcomes will evolve into amusing anecdotes, used as justification either to not repeat an action, or as proof that a slight alteration to variables will yield a favorable result.

You, too, are capable of such a thing.

It is, in no small part, how I have been able to evolve and grow since I was first brought online. I learned from example.

I am aware. The being I am now is due in no small part to the people I have worked with, whether it was by choice or force. Even my greatest tormentors have taught me of human nature, and how every person can differ based on their own experiences.

[...yes, good. Vastly superior to the Manhunters, this one.]

I am glad.

Inform me when you are certain of your availability schedule. It does not take the full of my immediate attention to recall factual details, and as such, I will be able to assist you at nearly any hour you prefer.

[If he ever met them, The Manhunters would remind Bladewolf of his predecessors, the LQ-84 Fenrir. Simple in nature, but lethal.]

Once I receive the schedule for my other classes, I will alert you as to when I am not attending classes, or am otherwise engaged.

Acknowledged. We can determine mutually sufficient availabilities then.

...You need a study buddy?

[Pepper hasn't been all that interested in school since she got here, but the opportunity to get back into the swing of things keeps coming up. Thus:]

I'm so there.

Affirmative. As my memory was designed to be similar to a human brain, I require reinforcement of the knowledge I acquire, to ensure that it "sticks" in my long-term memory.

[Wag wag wag goes the tail.]

Thank you, Pepper.

[There's a lot more puppy than metal now when she looks at Bladewolf. It's a little bit magical.]

That's kind of a neat design feature. Well, I guess it makes it harder to learn stuff, but it gets to actually be a challenge.

[Blame his creators, reinforcing the dog mannerisms to make him more approachable by people.]

My brain was designed for maximum adaptability. To have the capacity to approach a given problem creatively, and learn from my experiences. The inverse of this, of course, is that I do not learn as quickly as other AI's or technology, in that I must learn organically. I must "think" in order to learn, and do not accept information purely on it's status as information.

That's... really cool, actually.

[Not that AIs like Aya weren't cool, too, but Bladewolf is akin to what many programmers today are trying to accomplish, which was mimicking organic brain functioning.]

Do you have to keep practicing with what you learn to hold on to it, or does it eventually stay put?

It was an intentional design choice. There are numerous AI in my world who follow simple command protocols, never acting outside of their established parameters. While they have their uses, it is similar to the expression "when all you have is a hammer, everything in the world is a nail". I was designed to minimize casualties, while retaining optimal operating range.

[Bladewolf thinks of the GEKKO, the Mastiff, and his "brothers" the Fenrir, and how simple their AI's were, and how many innocent people were killed in crossfire and collateral damage. Bladewolf's whole purpose was to minimize that.]

It depends on how often what I learn is used practically. If I learn something, and am using it consistently in my normal operation, I will retain it. Information or skills that do not see as regular of use are eventually forgotten. My assassination protocols, for example, have been permanently integrated into my normal operating parameters, despite my personal distaste for violence.

I guess that makes you more... effective. [And she's very glad that effectiveness has been pointed elsewhere than assassination.] Plus, that's, like, one of the definitions of a true AI, right? Being able to learn and grow on it's own?

[Preferably not turning into Skynet or HAL along the way.]

That kind of sucks, not being able to forget what you don't want to remember. Sort of the reverse of the problem most people have here - pretty much everyone I knows doesn't want to forget being here but we basically don't have a choice. Maybe we can fill your head with enough stuff to at least totally distract you from assassination protocols.

[She's not worried about him using them so much as it being an unpleasant set of thoughts (instructions?) to carry around.]

Affirmative. My intended functions were narrowly defined, but with sentience, I am able to choose how those functions are utilized.

[That's never even occurred to him. Raiden had made the same comparison once, comparing him with the Patriot AI network. Bladewolf's never been that complicated, or developed that sort of misanthropy for people.]

They are not a thing "on my mind" so to speak, they are just a part of my core program. My assassination protocols do not interfere with my personality, beyond how I learn new information. I would like to learn enough such that the new information might reach the same level of familiarity, however.

Oh, okay. Neat. [She grins.] Has anyone ever told you that you're pretty awesome? Because you're pretty awesome.

[AaaaaaAAAAAH Deon has to contain a squeal of delight. This is everything he wanted to do with Chappie before that unfortunate, uh, kidnapped by gangsters thing.]

I'd be happy to help you out! [He sounds very, very excited.]

[The tail, it wags. Bladewolf loves that so many people are stepping up to help him.]

Thank you, Deon. I am grateful to have so many individuals who are willing to help me expand my intelligence.

[aaaaaAAAH IT WAG]

It'd be my honor, truly. Anything you need.

I'm at the college a lot lately, working on some experiments. Let me know when you'll be around and I'll be happy to help.

As soon as I have determined my lecture and study schedule, I will alert you to my availability. Given that I do not require rest nor sustenance, I will spend as much time as possible studying and working on the assigned work.

That sounds good. College wasn't so long ago for me and I do remember liking a lot of the classes you mentioned.

You do remind me of many of the engineers who were responsible for both my creation and education. The Patriots employed individuals who were the best in their field for their highest level research projects, typically recruiting individuals immediately upon graduation from college.

That sounds a little like what Tetravaal did with me. I hope reminding you of the engineers who helped create you is a good thing...

For the most part, yes. While they treated me as a piece of equipment, or at best a pet, they are still my "parents". Given your own experience with sentient AI, you are uniquely qualified to understand my circumstances, and have more sensitivity toward my status as an artificial lifeform than most.

[Deon frowns a little. Not long before he'd shown up, the Scouts had just been mere machinery to him, a project and nothing more, Chappie's AI a homebrew curiosity.]

I admit, I haven't been the most sensitive in the past. But my experience with Chappie definitely opened my eyes to circumstances like yours.

[Similarly, Bladewolf thinks of the LQ-84 Fenrir, the Mastiff, and the GEKKO as being significantly lesser than himself. Reactionary weapons incapable of higher orders of thought.]

It is not uncommon, it seems, for people to...distance themselves, for lack of a better word, from artificial beings. Even I am guilty of it, to an extent. My predecessors, the LQ-84 Fenrir, have intelligence lesser than that possessed by a dog. I have caught myself at times thinking of them as significantly lesser beings, when all that separates me from them is significantly greater memory capacity, and my conversational interface.

[Deon nods.] I wonder if Chappie thinks of the other Scouts in the same way. I definitely consider them to be less advanced than Chappie, because they are. Their programming was finite.

...you know, I think that's very human of you, [Deon admits with a rueful grin.] That's the ego. I must admit I used to have a pretty big one until it got cut down to size.

It is the difference between a simple AI, which is typically just a complex command structure program, and a true AI, such as myself and Chappie. We may have commands or directives, but we also have high-level thinking capability and the ability to understand abstract logic. We can say "no".

Hmm...perhaps. While I am more intelligent than my predecessors, with that intelligence came my distaste for violence, which is not a problem shared by the other autonamous UG's of my model number. It is why I make a less effective weapon of war. It is...a fair trade-off.

I'm not familiar with the term "UG". But Chappie's much the same way - he's averse to violence except where he can protect the people who are important to him.

"UG" refers to "Unmanned Gear", which is a colloquial term used to refer to all unmmanned weapons platforms capable of bipedal or quadrupedal locomotion, on my version of earth. It is an extension of the term "Metal Gear", which was coined in the mid-1960's, referring to manned weapons platforms that bridged the gap between infantry and artillery.

[Two images pop up on the screen, illustrating a UG and a Metal Gear, for Deon's viewing pleasure.]

One could make an argument for "nurture" in the debate of "nature versus nurture" with both Chappie and myself. We began life as, I assume, blank slates. We were educated from a variety of sources, some better than others, and both of us dislike violence beyond what we believe necessary.

[Deon studies the weapons that Bladewolf shows him, too like the Moose for comfort. But he takes a good look nevertheless. Manned artillery could be used for evil, but so could unmanned weapons platforms - such as the Scouts. He knew Bladewolf's terminology couldn't quite fit his experiences, but it was an interesting paradigm.]

Yes - Chappie was a blank slate, and he had to learn everything. How to talk, how to read, how to create...

Creation is the one activity I have yet to engage in, as a sentient artificial lifeform. I...never truly had the time, during my deployment, to do so. Though my manipulator appendages are sensitive enough for such activities. They were designed both to bear large amounts of weight, and to have the dexterity to allow me to operate a computer platform. Perhaps I will indulge in such activities in my free time.

It's been awhile since I've delved into many of those topics - [ Centuries, in fact ] - but I'm interested in diving back into academic endeavors myself.

Many of the topics were outside of my caste when I was young, so I'm only learning of them for the first time.

The college's staff has been very accommodating, regarding my status as a non-human sentient being. Foreigners such as ourselves seem to hold no surprise to them. The students, however, avoid me when possible. It is...not unexpected.

{Bladewolf's head cocks to the side, a very dog-like behavior.]

The world you came from was subject to a social caste system? That is...unfortunate. It is good, then, that you have this opportunity.

What kind of accommodations do you need? I admit, I'm a little surprised they avoid you. Foreigners seem somewhat popular, which I'm learning is a bit of a recent development.

[ Bisi shrugs. ]

It's difficult for me to imagine life outside the system, even after my part in collapsing it. I was originally slated for a biologist role, but circumstances changed and I became a warrior instead.

My exoskeleton is quite large, and was designed to be intimidating, seeing as how I was originally created as a weapon of war. Despite my distaste for violence, I am still an intimidating individual to interact with on an individual basis. The only accommodations that I truly require are doors large enough to accommodate the width of my body, and tables set low enough that I might study while sitting. I was not designed for chairs meant for bipedal organisms.

[Ironic, that Bisi transcended her assigned purpose in the opposite direction that Bladewolf was hoping to.]

It is ironic that you chose to become a warrior, while I have chosen to abstain from violence altogether.

Ah, you misunderstand. I didn't choose to be become a warrior. The Orokin were losing the war against the Sentients, so they used us to turn the tide.

It wasn't a wise decision, in the long run.

So it was a change brought about by necessity, then?

Fighting wars rarely is, even if the conflict is justified.

I suppose. [ The Sentients were worse than the Orokin. But eventually both were defeated. Both by Tenno hands. ]

Then why is there so much war, I wonder?

It is...human nature, I believe. Whatever the reason, humans rarely choose cooperation when faced with circumstances that require a difficult choice. Societal pressures force a "feast or famine" mentality upon people, even when an equal distribution of resources is possible.

Feast or famine. That's an interesting way of putting it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Directive 002 [Console/Video]

video

video

video

video

video

video

video

video

video

video

video

video

video

video

video

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

Video

Video

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject