Artificial Intelligence and their purpose on military vessels.

The AI from the UIC Tabitha is a synth-shell powered by a powerful, yet still limited Artificial Intelligence.

AI’s have developed significantly over the past few decades, and while they are excellent at calculations, critical thinking, and consuming mass volumes of digital data, they are not human. They have very limited emotions and lack intuitive instincts.

During the TPA (Terran Protectorate Alliance) era most command AI’s were just software. All military ships are issued with an AI to assist in matters where strategic decisions need to be made in the blink of an eye. The cost vs benefit of equipping these AI’s with physical bodies however could not be justified.*

When the Discovery War broke out with the Cephilusks, humanity had to adapt on several fronts to ensure survival. One of these adaptations was issuing the AI's of select military vessels with synth-shell bodies. These AI’s could perform physical tasks, adding an additional layer of utility and support.

As with all advances in science, there are usually unforeseen consequences or limitations that come with progress. One such limitation was the inability of the AI’s to process the sheer amount of required data during a combat skirmish. Even with the advances in computing and data processing, a synth-shell AI still needed more resources to perform at peak effectiveness. The solution was to connect and reintegrate the AI with a hardline connection to the servers on these military vessels.

When the TPA dissolved with the signing of the UIC (United Interstellar Concordat) peace accord to end the war, humanity had realized the value of having these specialized military synth-shells onboard. While they are still uncommon, the design parameters for military vessels have been modified to cater to these AI’s.

*Synth-shells are a common sight on Luna, Mars and other human colonized worlds. Their AI’s however aren’t nearly as powerful or expensive as the highly specialized AI’s used onboard military vessels.

The UIC Tabitha’s AI is named Tabitha, not surprisingly. She is an integral part of the crew. Here she can be seen conversing with Captain Malone and Commander Ahaffa’s.

Each AI has a unique ‘personality’ that they can choose for themselves, and each individual has certain preferences, likes, and dislikes, although nothing as comprehensive as humans.

Humanity’s understanding of intelligence has evolved over the centuries. Just because AI’s can’t experience the same, full range of emotions as we can, doesn’t make them any less of an individual ‘person’ - In the same breath, just because humans can’t process the same amount of data as an AI can, doesn’t mean that we are less of an individual ‘person’. Perhaps an oversimplification is that dogs can see in fewer colors than birds can see with their brilliant UV eyesight. Both are animals, and none of them are less of an animal than the other because of this difference.

Here is an example of Tabitha showing one of her limited emotions while talking to Commander Ahaffa. Although AI’s don’t need to show facial expressions, they find it easier to communicate with humans when they mimic behavior that we find ‘normal’.

I hope this post has been insightful and that you will have a better understanding of AI’s, their limitations, and behaviors when you interact with Tabitha in Infinite Stars.

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