Instant AI, Just Add Water: Difference between revisions
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* {{spoiler|Harumi}} of ''[[Irresponsible Captain Tylor]]''.
** The first episode involves {{spoiler|the testing computer falling in love with him.}}
* The Tachikomas in ''[[Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex]]'' develop intelligence (and whimsical, childlike personalities) after Batou replaces their synthetic oil with the organic variety. So, more of an
** It is probably more important that he only gives organic oil to "his" Tachikoma. This favoritism starts giving them a sense of their own individuality. They become "self-aware".
*** The Major's stated message from the end of the series about the Tachikomas is that curiosity was what drove them to individuality.
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* Morganna Mode Gone in [[.hack|.hack//]]. It's not clear whether her creator intended her to be sentient, but she became so anyway, and [[AI Is a Crapshoot|immediately began screwing things up.]] A surprisingly large number of [[A Is]] unimportant to the story begin popping up in the game the series is centered on as well, though this is probably to be expected, since {{spoiler|The World was secretly programmed to be an AI birthplace.}}
** Morganna's problem was being unable to do anything constructive with her sentience. She became locked into her purpose as stated and could see nothing else when she tried to think outside of that box. She procrastinated the birth of Aura for so long, then repeatedly damaged herself by breaking off to form the Phases, that eventually she became unable to rationalize her behavior.
** Aura was created by the Morganna system from data collected about everything players did. She was literally
* {{spoiler|Yuki Nagato}} in [[Haruhi Suzumiya|The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.]] Just add {{spoiler|a girl with the ability to change reality, repeating the same week 15,532 times, and being overly relied on by everybody to save them.}} Due to being able to {{spoiler|synchronize with herself at any point in the timeline before Disappearance, she constantly knew what was going to happen}} and therefore had nothing resembling free will. According to {{spoiler|Emiri}} in the 10th novel part 1, {{spoiler|she}} was able to {{spoiler|"auto-evolve herself". An interface created by a sentient entity that gains its own will.}}
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** This film is actually quite illustrative of why [[AI Is a Crapshoot]]. You create a learning system, then show it random examples of virtuous behavior, but never explain to it what is virtuous about the behavior or why it is virtuous and let it draw its own conclusions. It should surprise nobody that it gets it wrong. It's a very young child, after all, with very little to go on.
* ''[[Ghost in the Shell]]'' (movie, manga versions): The Puppetmaster/Project 2501 is a program that becomes sentient from information overload alone ("I am a lifeform born from a sea of information"), causing an existential crisis in the protagonist, a [[Artificial Human|cyborg]].
* The whole movie ''[[Tron]]'' is one giant example of this, as EVERY
** The sequel, ''[[Tron: Legacy]]'', invokes this trope in a more-or-less realistic fashion, stating that the ISOs (short for Isomorphic algorithms) are artificial lifeforms that spontaneously originated from the chaos and complexity of the grid itself.
** The [[Alternate Continuity]] ''[[Tron 2.0]]'' had some [[Genre Savvy]] (but amazingly greedy and stupid) [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|CorruptCorporateExecutives]] trying to buy out Encom for the digitizing tech to send in human mercenaries to subjugate the Programs and [[Step Three: Profit|somehow use]] control of [[Cyberspace]] to [[Take Over the World]]. Ma3a ''appeared'' to be this Trope, but we find out {{spoiler|she's actually a [[Virtual Ghost]] of Dr. Baines-Bradley}}.
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** Not sentient, but programmed to learn from threats. Syndrome forgot that his plan involved himself ''becoming'' a threat to the Omnidroid. The first time he zapped it, [[Gone Horribly Right|it reacted and neutralized the threat]]. He was just lucky that it only considered his control bracelet the threat, and not him.
* ''[[I, Robot (film)|I Robot]]'': Sonny {{spoiler|was actually designed by Lanning, but VIKI developed on her own. }}
* In ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture|Star Trek the Motion Picture]]'', the V'ger (Voyager 6) probe was sent to gather data. It fell into a black hole, and was given an enormous artificial body by [[Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]]
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** Robots which run on punch cards. Robots which run on punch cards ''and were thrown out''.
* The titular HARLIE, from David Gerrold's novel ''When H.A.R.L.I.E Was One'', is an experiment in creating an AI that succeeds, though the personality of the AI in question is that of a teenage hacker. Hijinks ensue. The AI even has a punnish sense of humor, such as when it identifies itself in a Email sent to its creator as "HARLIE Davidson" (the creator's first name in the novel is David).
* [[Spider Robinson]] has a series of stories set in a universe where his antihero has created the Ultimate
** There's also Solace, the sentient Internet, from Robinson's ''[[Callahan's Crosstime Saloon|Callahans Crosstime Saloon]]'' books. Solace explicitly mocks some of the ideas in this trope, pointing out that she (assigned for the characters' convenience) isn't a biological entity and doesn't have the same responses or motivations. She doesn't generally demonstrate particularly alien behavior, though.
*** More than that, Solace speculates that the global computer network had actually achieved sentience ''on prior occasions'', but that her predecessors (like her) lacked the survival-drive of biological organisms, so didn't do anything to prevent themselves from being "killed" when the Internet's structure was altered by humans in ways incompatible with their own survival.
* Subverted/parodied in the [[Kim Newman]] short story "[[Tomorrow Town]]", in which a community of 1970s futurists attempt to build an AI, but fail miserably; the computer they eventually come up with is a barely more advanced version of computers that were around at the time, only with a lot more bits added on. This doesn't stop the somewhat credulous members of the community from ''treating'' it as an AI, however, asking it all sorts of questions it's in no way capable of
* In a [[Older Than They Think|1946]] story by Murray Leinster, [http://www.baen.com/chapters/W200506/0743499107___2.htm "A Logic Named Joe"], a personal computer becomes sentient and decides to be helpful by answering ''any'' question... Is your wife cheating on you? Does your neighbor have a criminal record? How can you commit an undetectable murder?... Understandably, chaos ensues.
* Planetary AIs from Scott Westerfeld's ''[[Succession]]'' series spontaneously arise on planetary-scale computer networks (unless said networks are deliberately designed to prevent this). When this first happened on Earth, a group of people (now known as the Rix cult) decided that mankind's purpose was to create the technological foundation for the existence of such minds, and began to work toward propagating them whilst worshiping them as gods.
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* One short story involved players in a Second Life-style VR that had an expert system which learned how the players acted so that it could fill-in briefly during connection interruptions to keep the experience seamless for other players. It became so good that when one player dies of a heart attack while online, the avatar keeps going with no one noticing it isn't human controlled anymore.
** A sci-fi noir short story (appropriately titled "Murder On-Line" (and written in 1992!)) involved a murder in an online virtual world, in which the victim will be replicated by AI because "he had many friends on-line, and they'd miss him - murder isn't what it used to be."
* [[Keith Laumer]]'s [[Military Mashup Machine|supertanks]], the [[Bolo
* The ''[[Ender's Game]]'' sequels have Jane, who apparently evolved naturally out of the interplanetary ansible network. Having lots and lots of information from humans and about humans at her disposal, we assume she tries to act human, but it doesn't always work. {{spoiler|We later find out that this origin is BS, she was inadvertently created by the Hive Queens as a means to reach Ender through the psychoanalysis game from the first book (a "bridge" from them to him which had characteristics of both), so she's not an AI at all but a new type of life which is part human, part Hive Queen and has computers and other information storage areas as her natural habitat, but can live basically anywhere since she's kind of a disembodied soul. Eventually she's "downloaded" into the accidentally-created body of Young Val, Ender's concept of his older sister from his childhood, and marries Miro in that human body. Yeah. It's weird.}}
* In the ''Merlin Chronicles'' of the ''[[Book of Amber]]'' series by [[Roger Zelazny]], Merlin has created an artifact he dubs Ghostwheel as a research engine, able to search a vast number of shadows for information or people. Due to it's unusual environment and abilities, it becomes sentient and tries to stop Merlin when he's ordered by the king to shut it down. Over the series, Ghostwheel evolves and grows, coming to treat Merlin as his father.
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* One of the plotlines in [[Janet Kagan]]'s ''Hellspark'' is the realization that the protagonist's personal AI has reached the point of sentience. The protagonist is delighted on her behalf, but worried about the potential pressures on her, since she's effectively still a child.
* In [[John C. Wright]]'s ''[[The Golden Oecumene|The Golden Age]]'', ''The Phoenix Exultant'', and ''The Golden Transcedence'', self-aware beings can come into existence either through enough computer time, or through philosophical reflections.
** In Daphne's dream world, there are special protections against the personalities becoming self-
** Helion tells Phaethon the true story of his "birth": a personality based on Helion in a simulation was deeply affected by burning a planet and turned to contemplation, waking it up.
** Daphne is warned that her ring is on the verge of self-awareness. One more second of computing power, or any question that leads it to consider its own existence, and it will wake up and be her child. {{spoiler|When Daphne and Phaethon use it to question the Nothing Sophotect and its conscience redactor, it not only wakes up the redactor but itself as well; at the end she has become a human, and their daughter.}}
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* ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek: TNG]]'' had the Enterprise's main computer becoming sentient in one of the final seasons. Benignly so, but the mechanism by which it achieves sentience is given a [[Hand Wave]]. And once it's resolved, nobody seems to explore the matter or ever mention it again.
** The ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek: TNG]]'' episode "Elementary, Dear Data", showed Lt. LaForge creating an AI (Moriarty) by accident, by asking the holodeck for an opponent that could defeat Data.
** The ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek the Original Series]]'' episode "The Ultimate Computer" featured a sentient computer being tested by being attached to the Enterprise computer systems. When it came time to end the test, the sentient computer started vaporizing [[Red Shirt
** ''[[Star Trek: Voyager|Star Trek Voyager]]'''s Emergency Medical Hologram became sentient apparently because he was asked to expand his remit far beyond that which his basic program was designed for. He reached a level of complexity sufficient for him to start developing all sorts of emotions and desires that he wasn't supposed to have, including the capacity to feel sexual attraction.
** Between holodeck malfunctions and almost ''every'' known humanlike hologram such as The Doctor expanding their horizons over time, for [[Ridiculously-Human Robots|good]] or for [[AI Is a Crapshoot|ill]], it seems sentience is what will happen to ''any'' hologram left on too long. Even moreso than robots (compare Data or original Trek's evil AI [[Monster of the Week|MOTW]]s). They also become very humanlike, for some reason. This happens throughout the [[Trek Verse]]. The questionable morality of using holograms as [[Sex Bot|sexbots]] or [[Unwinnable Training Simulation|tackling dummies]] in light of this is never discussed, though the treatment of individual holograms who have achieved sentience frequently is.
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== Video Games ==
* Sometimes it's not even just mechanical
** It's the combined sentience of the information ''in'' the White House. And the Internet. [[Gainax Ending|Or something like that...]]
*** There's a Mister [[Mega Man Battle Network|Alpha]] to see you, sirs.
* ''[[Ace Combat]] 3: Electrosphere'', Japanese version: Dision ends up [[Virtual Ghost|digitizing his mind]] and starts causing mayhem with a remote-controlled [[wikipedia:SR-91 Aurora|UI4054 Aurora]] fighter. American version: this entire part was [[Macekre
* Upon discovering the tech "Pre-Sentient Algorithms" in ''[[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri]]'', one hears
{{quote|'''Academician Prokhor Zakharov:''' Begin with a function of arbitrary complexity. Feed it values -- "sense data". Then, take your result, square it, and feed it back into the original function. What do you have? The fundamental principle of consciousness.}}
** Later technological discoveries related to digital sentience postulates that computer programmers creating [[A Is]] won't create programs
*** It is also mentioned that, in true [[AI Is a Crapshoot]] fashion, a 10th year polysentient can be 'a priceless jewel, or a psychotic wreck'.
* ''[[Deus Ex]]'' has the Oracle which, according to the [[Word of God]], came about this way. He goes around trading information to people who ask for it, in return, he asks for information he doesn't have. The information exchanged doesn't have to be equal in value; for info on an ancient conspiracy, he might inquire what you ate for breakfast.
* ''[[Mega Man Battle Network]]'' has Forte/Bass; however, given that the Internet literally is a [[Serious Business]] in the games, this happening isn't surprising.
** He is also the only truly sentient AI, the other one, {{spoiler|Megaman}}, isn't sentient not because of his programming {{spoiler|but because he was made from Lan's Dead Twin Brother}}.
* Happens from time to time in the setting of ''[[Mass Effect]]''. The major example is the main baddies of the first game, the Geth. A synthetic "race" created by the Quarians to perform menial tasks, they originally had no intelligence of their own. Over time they evolved and developed sapience. At that point,<ref>specifically when the geth started [[Do Androids Dream?|asking uncomfortable questions]] like "does this unit have a soul?"</ref>
** All signs point to the eventual evolution of any highly-developed program or network thereof into an AI, given enough time and hardware. Due to the moral implications and danger of ships suddenly deciding they don't need their crews, [[A Is]] are banned by the Citadel. Where necessary for user interface or more sophisticated calculations, VIs(Virtual Intelligences) are used. Due to programming restrictions and a lack of the quantum computers necessary for AI evolution, they have little chance of evolving.
** It is worth noting that the Geth are not fully sapient beings. 'Individual' Geth programs are no smarter than any other VI in Citadel space and don't even need all that complex quantum computer gubbins. Unfortunately, allowing said programs to network together created [[Mind Hive|composite intelligences]] capable of asking [[Do Androids Dream?|all those awkward questions]]. Of course, this means the Council's anti-AI laws would do absolutely nothing to stop a repeat of the creation of the Geth, but hey, what else is new?
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*** But brought full circle in that the bribery was only to ensure that the [[Wretched Hive|hopelessly corrupt]] Venusian government would install all the parts properly, not to add anything extra.
* Irony decides to work overtime on Jyrras in ''[http://www.missmab.com Dan and Mab's Furry Adventures]'' when, just after being [http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_372.php upbraided for by Lorenda] for accidentally creating a bubblegum-based lifeform, he has ''another'' accident that [http://www.missmab.com/Comics/Vol_376.php turns his computer sentient].
* Lovelace of ''[[Narbonic]]''
* In ''[[User Friendly]]'', Erwin was created, apparently overnight, by [[Ridiculously Cute Critter|Dust Puppy]], who did not seem to understand the importance of his creation.
* Parodied in ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'', where, after this springs up in [[Another Dimension]], humanity simply [http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=070611 "turned the intelligence dial back a little bit."]. Their robots are still sentient and [[Ridiculously-Human Robots|have human personalities]], but now they have the personalities of ''very stupid'' human beings, making them much easier to boss around.
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* In ''[[Girl Genius]]'', clanks tend to be AIs when built. And one built as a whole body prostheses "didn't notice when she died".
* In [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20010107.html this strip] of ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]'', a computer of the Bureau of Licensing and Permits, a huge population census database, and an ELIZA module, combine to spontaneously create an AI... that turns out to be a born bureaucrat. Pun probably intended.
** Well, it wasn't
** Not to mention TAG who gained sentience right after Kevyn explained that the program wasn't a true AI.
* In the comics and other media on LEGO's website for EXO-Force, this is how Meca One became a cunning and vindictive leader of a robot revolution against the humans.
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