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Follow-up to Sven's Thank-You Note to Hannelore

Sven trying to think of some way to say thank you to Tai

Faye and Bubbles addressing the differences in perception that they have about the robot fighting

Hannelore decides that she has a talent for solving her friends' personal problems... unfortunately!

Marten and Claire are moving to Canada?!? (because Marten is Jeph's occasoinal SI)

The Day Veronica Gave Sam a Bath!

Another evening at the Support Group: Arthur misses 'Abyssinia'

Pintsize and Corpse Witch, a partnership made in Robot Hell!

Seriously though, what about Penelope and Raven? Or Steve and his cereal?

[ReindeerFlotilla]

The US has an all-volunteer military.

Actually, not so. The Pentagon wants an all volunteer force, because it sees it as a more effective method. However, there is no statute to that effect. Indeed, The Joint Chiefs have had to tell Congress a time or two, "we'd really prefer it if you didn't active the draft," partly because Congress floating the idea was political theater, but also because they don't want it.

Likely they would feel the same way about AI soldiers, once they were required to treat them as people rather than tools. But that might not be the case. The military can be slow as hell about changing their point of view on a subject. In fact, if an AI were part of high value weapon system, I'd expect the first thing some military leaders would do is try to find a way to conscript them. Odds are, they put a lot of money into them.

But that's me rambling on. The main point is that the all volunteer nature of the DoD is a choice and goal of the Pentagon's, not a requirement.

[ZoeB]

Why would humanoid be the best shape for a combat robot?

Cammo.



In terms of their capabilities in degraded modes, all the military robots I've grown the AI for are like the T-1000. As are the spacecraft.

"The radiation will cause random bit-flips and can even fry components," Brain says. "The vacuum boils the volatile gasses out of normal chips, making them useless and coating everything nearby with conductive gunk. In the Earth's shadow, temperatures make Antarctica look balmy, and in the sun's glare it's hotter than the Simpson Desert. On the way up, the vibration of the rocket would shake most normal circuit boards to pieces."

Spaceflight avionics software development is not for the faint-hearted either.

"The question for software developers is not, 'Are you paranoid?', the question is, 'Are you paranoid enough?' " Brain says. "Every software module, every function, procedure or method has to assume that information coming in may have been spoilt by a malfunction and be prepared for the worst. The system must be ductile - bending, not breaking - when things go wrong. In space no one can press Control/Alt/Delete."

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/08/24/1030052995897.html

However, I read XKCD so followed this:



For more on meta-genetic algorithms, see
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275953662_Meta-Genetic_Algorithms_Molecules_and_Supercomputers_%28Poster%29
(Poster for SC10 Conference on High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis,  New Orleans 2010)

[Akima]

So it would be accurate to say that the USA has an all-volunteer military, but the legal structure of conscription is still in place. Curiously enough, that puts it on exactly the same footing as the People's Republic of China; every Chinese citizen between certain ages is technically subject to conscription, but the PRC has never actually implemented it. The supply of volunteers as always been sufficient, even during the Korean War.

Why would humanoid be the best shape for a combat robot?

It would depend on the role. A bipedal tank would not make much sense, but a robot that had to share environments with humans (ride in an APC, move around inside a building with flights of stairs) might be a different matter.

Do Bubbles and Jeremy while away the hours arm-wrestling? Or they could play board-games, I suppose. I can't shake the thought of Bubbles in a kimono practicing ikebana.

[improvnerd]

I can't shake the thought of Bubbles in a kimono practicing ikebana.

That's pretty anthropomorpho-centric of you. Why can't a robot arm enjoy flower arrangement?

[Neko_Ali]

The fact that Jeremy is there has two possible, rather disturbing implications:

1) Your average assembly arm can develop a taste for illegal violence

2) Jeremy got laid of in a way and now has to make his living by fighting.

Ironically, Jeremy was laid off because his job was replaced by a human....

A walking tank is impractical in pretty much any situation. There are very few robot vehicles that would be useful, are they're all on the small power armor size. And still they are not likely to be the most effective tool to use for a given situation. But they might be adaptable enough for a variety of situations to be worth working on. Military experiements into powered exoskeletons and 'iron man' style suits are more viable. That's really where Bubbles fits in. She can interact in environments built for humans, but is a lot physically tougher than a human. She would be a terror in any kind of CQC engagement scenario. She wouldn't be any good engaging in long range or open field battles, not any more than any human soldier on foot. But clearing buildings, going from room to room or in a built up urban environment? Oh heck yes. Especially in a pre-robot rights environment, I could easily see combat AIs like her sent into areas to check areas and buildings for any kind of hidden enemy or traps. They could take a lot more damage than a human could from an IED, and either be fixed up or rehoused into a new body a lot faster than a human soldier losing limbs.

[BenRG]

But, of course, unlike a bomb disposal robot, Bubbles has a consciousness and the ability to form social bonds with other creatures. Unlike a 'dumb' robot or ROV, an AI cannot just see friends, colleagues and innocents blown to pieces without it impacting on their mental and emotional stability. That's why sentient AIs whose psyche works in the same was as a human's don't really work too well as 'perfect soldiers' unless they have a personality algorithm with the same characteristics as a psychopath.

[Neko_Ali]

They would have the same capabilities to learn and bond with other troops as a human soldier though. I could definitely see problems in a pre-rights environment though with commanders who look on them more like dumb robots than AIs and treating them as such.

[ReindeerFlotilla]

So it would be accurate to say that the USA has an all-volunteer military, but the legal structure of conscription is still in place. Curiously enough, that puts it on exactly the same footing as the People's Republic of China; every Chinese citizen between certain ages is technically subject to conscription, but the PRC has never actually implemented it. The supply of volunteers as always been sufficient, even during the Korean War.

Technically, yes it is similar. The US was using the draft in Vietnam. The DoD considered that a bad experience. I believe the draft was employed in every conflict from the start of Selective Service until Vietnam, and then the DoD decided to not do that anymore. They generally try to discourage judges from sentencing people to military service, and I believe there may be laws in place to that effect, now.

The US military struggles to maintain force levels, but not in raw numbers. The issue is in skilled MOSs. I expect the crunch to increase across the board as the nation ages.

[Is it cold in here?]

I like BenRG's speculation. Time for Faye to find alternatives to her defense mechanisms.

[Omega Entity]

So it would be accurate to say that the USA has an all-volunteer military, but the legal structure of conscription is still in place. Curiously enough, that puts it on exactly the same footing as the People's Republic of China; every Chinese citizen between certain ages is technically subject to conscription, but the PRC has never actually implemented it. The supply of volunteers as always been sufficient, even during the Korean War.

Technically, yes it is similar. The US was using the draft in Vietnam. The DoD considered that a bad experience. I believe the draft was employed in every conflict from the start of Selective Service until Vietnam, and then the DoD decided to not do that anymore. They generally try to discourage judges from sentencing people to military service, and I believe there may be laws in place to that effect, now.

The US military struggles to maintain force levels, but not in raw numbers. The issue is in skilled MOSs. I expect the crunch to increase across the board as the nation ages.

Indeed. The draft was, indeed, in place during the Korean War, having taken place before the Vietnam conflict. Though perhaps not the most historically accurate, one need only watch a few episodes of M*A*S*H to gather that much. Which was a damn fine show, imo.

[marsman57]

Could I care about any character less than I care about Bubbles? I think that arm thing probably has more personality.

[Method of Madness]

Jeremy has lots of personality it seems, so I'm not sure if that's saying much

[Kugai]

Jeremy, the Robot Arm version of Faye

This should be interesting

[Pilchard123]

She wouldn't be any good engaging in long range or open field battles, not any more than any human soldier on foot.

Really? I'd have thought at the very least the intimidation factor would have been worth having. She could also be better in the dark because her eyes don't have to be visible-light-only, or more stable than, say, a human sniper if she didn't have to breathe. Recoil from weapons could be less of a problem, if her arms (or hardpoints or whatever) have better damping than a human. Just think of a thing that the fleshiness of humans causes trouble with and with a bit of handwaving, Bubbles or others could probably have some way around it.

Obviously there are new problems - EM pulses could be an issue, rusting might set in, spare parts could be scarce, but eh, it's a comic.

[Method of Madness]

the intimidation factor

Especially her calmly walking towards a large group of enemy soldiers and not being the least bit bothered by the massive amounts of ammo hitting her.

[Pilchard123]

Or what if - at least in early combat robot, before people cottoned on - critical systems were in unexpected places? I'm no expert, but I imagine that a human would aim for their target's center-of-mass or head. But, surprise, my brain is in my foot!

[Neko_Ali]

My point being, she's not a tank. So references to a 'walking tank' are ignoring her role in combat. She's enhanced infantry. She can do whatever an infantry person could do, better. But she's not going to fulfill a role of an armored vehicle. Upscaling the human form to tank size and toughness (IE, a mecha, or walking tank as mentioned before) is a horrible idea because it would perform the role it was meant to take far less efficiently than a traditional tank.

[Kugai]

She may even have been an  early 'Urban Combat Model'

[Pilchard123]

My point being, she's not a tank.

Ah, right. I thought you were just talking generally.

[osaka]

May templates today. Nice to see that at least there isn't any self-loathing in the model design.

Also, having the fighter jet tee custom printed is probably not the shortest path to actually being a fighter jet.

[improvnerd]

Pretty sure they don't let convicted felons be jet fighters.

[osaka]

That's just a technicality. I'm sure that if you have 750 million dollars lying around those are things that can be smoothed out.

[amykathleen]

Yay for May!  Seriously, May just makes me so happy because she's so hateful and I love it.  (Maybe I'm a little messed up.)

[Method of Madness]

Aren't we all, though? Just a little

[Perfectly Reasonable]

BTW, I believe the question she asked is commonly referred to as 'rhetorical.'

Yes, but the reason behind the question is probably very important. She's being defensive and trying to divert Faye by insulting her. Unfortunately, insults are Faye's normal mode of affectionate social interaction, so Bubbles' tactic is flawed from the start! Faye actually thinks Bubbles is bonding with her!

^This.

And I wonder how Jeremy spends his spare time. Bowling, perhaps? Coaching Little League pitching? I am sure he has a more active social life than Bubbles. Things that weigh two tons and are bolted to the floor probably have more active social lives than Bubbles.

edits: Didn't mean to use the T-word. Sorry.

[BenRG]

Well, this might explain why May is typically in a fairly poor mood. This strip confirms that the warders at the Robot Jail basically stuck her in a chassis that is a low-quality rebuild job (one leg is probably a transplant off another decommissioned chassis). Imagine, if you will, what it must be like to be permanently stuck in an ill-fitting and only moderately-functional body!

Oh well, no-one ever said that parole should be easy!

[Earin]

And I wonder how Jeremy spends his spare time. Bowling, perhaps? Coaching Little League pitching? I am sure he has a more active social life than Bubbles. Things that weigh two tons and are bolted to the floor probably have more active social lives than Bubbles.

He's currently up to volume 6 of his Iron Man fancomic, in which Tony is captured by villain after villain, leaving the robotic arm from the lab in the film no choice but to mount itself on a mobile repulsor platform and fight crime.

[TinPenguin]

Observe the enormous semantic gap between "I am not a thing" and "I am nothing."

[BenRG]

Observe the enormous semantic gap between "I am not a thing" and "I am nothing."

It's curious; the name implies that Jeremy self-identifies as male even though he is completely non-humanoid in external appearance. If Jeph felt like it, he could go on a whole long odyssey about AI self-identifcation and sexuality based on this simple hook.

However, it is more likely that this was just a warning to Faye not to pre-judge an AI by their chassis. Just because something doesn't look even slightly human-ish doesn't mean that they don't have feelings and even gender identity. Heck, you could turn it on its head; it's possible that Bubbles' self identification is not even slightly human-like and she enjoys living as if she were industrial machinery rather than people!

[Akima]

Imagine, if you will, what it must be like to be permanently stuck in an ill-fitting and only moderately-functional body!

Yes... Even worse than a "demob suit". I wonder what May's body was before she tried to steal the money to buy a fighter-jet chassis?

[Mr_Rose]

Imagine, if you will, what it must be like to be permanently stuck in an ill-fitting and only moderately-functional body!

Yes... Even worse than a "demob suit". I wonder what May's body was before she tried to steal the money to buy a fighter-jet chassis?

A box on a shelf somewhere, I think. Wasn't she a financial controller of some sort?

[BenRG]

Imagine, if you will, what it must be like to be permanently stuck in an ill-fitting and only moderately-functional body!

Yes... Even worse than a "demob suit". I wonder what May's body was before she tried to steal the money to buy a fighter-jet chassis?

A box on a shelf somewhere, I think. Wasn't she a financial controller of some sort?

In a way, it makes sense. Imagine that you were a disembodied mind whose only 'senses' were your input and output data and maybe a fairly simple audio-visual hook-up to let you interface more easily with your human co-workers. Couldn't you see yourself developing an urge to have wings and fly?

I wonder if May had a decent defence at her trial? I would have definitely tried a stress-induced insanity defence, myself.

[Nepiophage]

Imagine, if you will, what it must be like to be permanently stuck in an ill-fitting and only moderately-functional body!

It's called old age. Fortunately, it's not permanent -- or even very long-lasting 

[CaptainFish]

May's chassis is a bummer (moreso than was shown earlier, the hair being of low quality was already known). I don't really see it changing any time soon either, based on the pace of the comic and limited focus on her.* It does explain how she was able to get a chassis when they're depicted as so expensive elsewhere.

I hope she gets to be a jet somehow...

*Maybe Faye will learn enough to give her a touch up, though!

[Is it cold in here?]

I can't remember if it's Word of God but it's possible they have gender identity settings so as to make it easier for humans to deal with them. We as a species do have a widespread tendency to assign genders to inorganic entities.

[Sorflakne]

I want today's comic as a full-sized wall poster.

[Neko_Ali]

I kind of have to wonder how serious May is about the whole 'I want to be a jet' part is. I mean, if it was a life long ambition, could she not have applied or whatever process AIs have to be transferred to a new chassis and position. Like the nuclear sub turned sales girl? Given May kept saying she was in robot jail because of poor control issues, I have a suspicion she was okay if bored with her job as a financial AI. Till she came across some videos of flight and said "OMG, that's what I want to do!". And she went quickly from there to embezzling money to buy a drone for a chassis, without much thought of the logistics or consequences. Or maybe she did apply to be an AI pilot and was turned down. She certainly seems to hate the normal day to day requirements and steps necessary to get where she wants. She well may have decided to shortcut the processed because "Ugh! It takes to long to apply and get approved. I want to fly now!"

[BenRG]

@Neko_Ali,

This is only a guess but I wonder if there is such a thing as indentured service for AIs. They have to work out an agreed contract with a sponsor so that the costs of their creation are paid off. Only then can they start saving up to get their own chassis.

It's not so bad; Ellicott-Chatham Robotics is typically very good at administering the General Overall Aptitude Test to find out where they'll be happy and fulfilled until this necessary step is complete. However, there is always one who falls through the cracks, for whom the GOAT said 'actuary' when her soul was 'pilot'. AIs are still new enough that the processes for identifying and remedying such mistakes doesn't exist yet. Most AIs grin and bear it. Some, like May, are sufficiently determined that they choose to take illegal measures to pay off their debts and achieve their dreams.

[CaptainFish]

I would love for it to be expanded upon in comic. Whenever I think about it, it just seems sad.

[Welu]

And I wonder how Jeremy spends his spare time. Bowling, perhaps? Coaching Little League pitching? I am sure he has a more active social life than Bubbles. Things that weigh two tons and are bolted to the floor probably have more active social lives than Bubbles.

He's currently up to volume 6 of his Iron Man fancomic, in which Tony is captured by villain after villain, leaving the robotic arm from the lab in the film no choice but to mount itself on a mobile repulsor platform and fight crime.

[Pilchard123]

And I wonder how Jeremy spends his spare time. Bowling, perhaps? Coaching Little League pitching? I am sure he has a more active social life than Bubbles. Things that weigh two tons and are bolted to the floor probably have more active social lives than Bubbles.

He's currently up to volume 6 of his Iron Man fancomic, in which Tony is captured by villain after villain, leaving the robotic arm from the lab in the film no choice but to mount itself on a mobile repulsor platform and fight crime.

I'd read that.

[Kugai]

Well, that explains part of the reason she's such a grumpy bitch sometimes. 

It'd probably piss me off as well if I were stuck in such a Chassis.

[ReindeerFlotilla]

I'm pretty sure May's personality is just May's personality. She was more abrasive than she might have been when we first met her because she was in a bad place doing something she didn't want to do as means f reducing the time she'd have to doe something else she didn't want to do.

That said, she cops to having impulse control issues and the fact that she almost took a steaming dump on her get out of jail early card kind of highlights that. May's attitude isn't the result of a poor chassis. It's a result of May being May. Dale has been good for her in the sense that he's able (thanks to his chill factor) to put up with her and still respect her, but he doesn't put up with a lot of her shit. May, OTOH has been good for Dale because sometimes poor control of impulses is exactly what the situation calls for, and she's able to push him into action via a combination of energy and withering sarcasm.

I would wonder if May is really as hateful as the filler implies. It's possible. A lot of her ability to function in the real world has to do with her attachment to Dale. As much trouble as she's shown giving Momo, I suspect her willingness to reach out stems from Momo being Dale's GFs companion, and that's it. Part of it is certainly that May depends on Dale, but the fact that she calls herself May, that her cheap ass chassis still resembles the form that the VR companion system picked for Dale, and the fact that she puts actual effort into making thing smooth for Dale implies actual affection for him.

But if she really is as misanthropic as implied, she doesn't much care for anyone else and Dale is all that's keeping her in check. May could very well be Pintsize without the whimsical humor.

Still, for all the patented overanalysis, I think it's probably closer to the story to say that May is just abrasive, but is otherwise a decent sort of person who would really just rather be a fighter jet.

(Also, of note: good odds that May could not be a fighter jet through normal channels because no one wants a fighter jet with poor impulse control.)

[Perfectly Reasonable]

If what May really wants is the freedom of flight, a quad-rotor chassis should not be too far beyond her eventual means. She might earn a living delivering packages...

[chaospersonified]

She might earn a living delivering packages...

Not to mention, she'd have a helluva lot of fun announcing the contents of very private packages to the world/making things up about the contents therein just to fuck with people.

I now see the problem she might have, though that would be the most amazing prank service.

[St.Clair]

I figure that, whatever its source, May's desire to be a fighter jet is because she [wants to/believes she'd be allowed to] go anywhere, do anything, blow up anything, and not have to take orders from anyone.  Limitless freedom and casual destruction.  Basically the mindset of your typical late-adolescent* video gamer.
People who actually own fighter jets are not in the business of handing them over to people like that, organic or otherwise.

(*I've seen examples extending into the twenties and even beyond. :p )

[DSL]

If size is not a criterion (and we've seen that an AI can fit in a physically small chassis), May might want to consider something closer to her price range. Her AI module could go where the radio receiver would normally go. No weapons load to speak of, but fast and maneuverable. Maybe load it with paintballs to make her feel better.

[ReindeerFlotilla]

I'm not sure if anything other than a full up fighter jet would do for May since she tried to steal most of a billion dollars to get one. OTOH, I get the feeling her desire to be a combat aircraft will never be explained in more detail.

It would be ironic to learn that, after all that, May doesn't know the first thing about how to fly.

[Welu]

Maybe she could buy Momo's old chassis at a friend/second hand discount, just to get out of the prison one.

[Neko_Ali]

She would certainly lose her job though. The chibi chassis could not work a convenience market, it just has to many limitations. If anything I think she would be more irritated in being in such a small and cute form. She would probably enjoy the self defense mechanism a bit to much though...