tushanshu | 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

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.

Directive 002 [Console/Video]

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