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[Dave H]

When an AI is created (or born, or whatever the polite term is) in the QC world, is it for a specific job? I imagine some of the specialized ones like Station are, but what about the others?

I was wondering this morning if Bubbles was a volunteer in the military, or if she was created specifically to be a warrior. The AnthroPC AIs seem to be, if not created to order, then created and held in a queue to be assigned to a compatible human. Or are they volunteers too?

The AIs we've met all seem to have some measure of free will (Even May, now that she's out of robot jail.) I'm just curious when they get to start expressing it.

[TheEvilDog]

Presumably Bubbles volunteered to join the military, given what she says here.

Its not a case of "when" AI start expressing their free will like its a switch that is flicked on when the programming is done, but rather an AI is grown in an organic manner. Creating an AI for a specific task would be antithetical to the concept that AI learn and grown on their own. Now there may be some aptitude among AI for certain tasks, but it doesn't mean that's directly programmed into them, much like Humans may have certain aptitudes to certain task, even to the levels of prodigy; mathematics, chemistry, art and so on. But it doesn't mean that those Humans would be automatically be placed into a job that exclusively uses that aptitude.

Consider May, worked as an account AI for a company but wanted to be a Jet Fighter. She skimmed money off various accounts to reach that goal. That's choice. The choice to become what she wanted, the choice to steal that money to reach that goal. That's choice, that's free will.

[Dave H]

I had forgotten about that scene where Bubbles talked about enlisting. Thank you for reminding me. That pretty well explains it.

When I said I was curious as to when they get to start expressing free will, I wasn't precise. What I meant to say is "when are they allowed to start expressing it?" From what you say it sounds like it's pretty much from the time they're coherent. Thank you for explaining.

[OldGoat]

The scenario I'm getting from what Jeph had described is that artificial intelligence entities are generated in a what he's called a "creche," and that unlike manufactured devices they have a high degree of individuality and distinct inclinations, tastes, interests, and aptitudes.  Unlike two identical personal computers with the same operating system, some are smarter than others, too.  It's presumably at that point that the new AI is matched with a platform, be it a bank computer, a jet fighters, a toaster, a space station, or a humanoid robot (including a certain sexually deviant AnthroPC).

[Dave H]

That makes sense, and seems like the optimal way to send AIs off to fulfilling lives. Where did Jeph talk about this? It seems I haven't found all the material pertaining to QC.

"Creche." I like it! That's the perfect term for the place of newborns.

Is there something that regulates the, um, "birth rate" of AIs? If they can be manufactured it seems like they could out-populate humans eventually, which I can't see humans standing still for. Even with laws to protect the rights of AIs, I can't see human society allowing them to be mass produced.

[sitnspin]

I think most AI don't leave the creche, by choice. I imagine the birth rate isn't all that high. The circumstances needed for a fully formed and functional sapient intelligence to form must be exceedingly specific and rare.

[Is it cold in here?]

Jeph's exposition about the creche and the career choices is in the wiki article for "AnthroPC".

Momo is another example of AIs choosing their own jobs.

[dutchrvl]

Excellent questions posed here!
What I am wondering with regards to Bubbles is the following: presumably Bubbles as an AI chose to serve, after which she was given the valkyrie chassis with the accompanying battle-droid functionalities.

The remarkable thing, in my view, is that after her discharge, she was permitted to keep this chassis. One would assume that Bubbles would be transfered to a 'regular' humanoid chassis after discharge, not in the least because of the inherent risks to society (PTSD Bubbles in regular chassis can do less harm than PTSD Bubbles in her current chassis), as well as possible risks of her chassis/battledroid-tech falling in the wrong hands and being misused.

So, it appears as if, once AIs are enlisted such as Bubbles, they are considered their own person including chassis, and respecting that is more important than taking away the battled-droid chassis to protect society/technology.

By the way, I agree with the latter, but am surprised that the military would let her keep the chassis nonetheless.

[Dave H]

Seeing how Agent Turing wanted to repossess Pintsize's milspec chassis, I'd think Bubbles would have had to switch to a civilian model before being discharged. But on the other hand perhaps the military wants to keep their options open in case they need to recall her to service, and it was less paperwork to just leave her in the battlebod.

It's also possible that Bubbles has safeguards built in to prevent her from causing harm if she does succumb to PTSD. Have we really seen her engage in violence? She didn't compete in the underground fighting ring, and she overcame the urge to reduce Corpse Witch to scrap. Maybe she has an embedded nonviolence compulsion she's not aware of.

[pwhodges]

Bubbles's chassis may have supported far more lethal weapons than her mere bulk and strength (!) which have been removed - just as removing Pintsize's laser was considered sufficient.

[OldGoat]

The program Bubbles was involved in was discontinued, so her chassis was no doubt declared surplus. 

Rather than buy her a new one, she was offered her issued one upon separation.  It's quite possible it's optimized for her AI and/or AI for the chassis and not economically adaptable for any other purpose.  After the Pintsize laser debacle DoD has adopted very clear protocols for removing certain hardware components.  It may also be that leaving the chassis in her custody better addressed concerns about it or its components falling into hostile hands.  Why put it under guard when you can have Bubbles is wearing it?

(I wanted to just insert frame 3.)

[BenRG]

Bubbles's chassis may have supported far more lethal weapons than her mere bulk and strength (!) which have been removed - just as removing Pintsize's laser was considered sufficient.

FWIW, I suspect that the hip pouches in Bubbles' armour were for storing pistols and extra magazines. However, she was probably designed to use human-type weapons and equipment wherever possible. This would make sense as it would minimise the number of duplicate logistical lines required to any given unit. The less different kinds of stuff you have to ship, the more you can ship on each flight or ship-borne container. So, Bubbles probably carried a M4 carbine, a M1014 shotgun or an M249 light machine-gun rather than any in-built weapons.

If there were any experimental/exotic weapons used by Bubbles' unit (given that laser weapons seem canon in the QC universe), it may have been the AEP7 laser pistol, the AER9 laser rifle and the M72 magnetic accelerator rifle. Yes, I'm doing a crossover but I think that the technology would fit with what we've approximately seen so far in QC as being plausible.

[OldGoat]

Bubb's chassis was undoubtedly a test platform for numerous devices and variants of existing weapons.  If nothing else, an AI would be a superior observer/recorder/reporter of field test results to even the most highly trained human.

[dutchrvl]

Bubbles's chassis may have supported far more lethal weapons than her mere bulk and strength (!) which have been removed - just as removing Pintsize's laser was considered sufficient.

That is undoubtedly true, but still, the great size and strength of her current chassis is still enough that I imagine the military may have wanted to take it back.

So it could be that:
1) Bubbles was allowed to keep the chassis as sign of respect for her loyal service
2) With her PTSD, it would possibly have made her personality much worse if forced into 'downgraded' chassis. Who knows what she may have done
3) There may be a law making forced abandonment of a chassis illegal (although this did not stop Turing from trying to repossess Pintsize's chassis)
4) Instead of the chassis optimized to Bubbles' AI (as OldGoat suggested), it may be that AIs, after spending a certain amount of time in a chassis, are adapted to such an extent that forcing the AI into a different chassis is bound to be unsuccessful. Only voluntary chassis change would work then (e.g. Winslow) 
5) As Dave H suggested, military wanted to keep the option of recalling her. Not sure about this, because they likely could've simply uploaded her back into the military chassis when her service was needed again

I like the 1st option best, so in my head that will be canon

[BenRG]

It's worth noting that Turing had a specific reason for impounding Pintsize's original chassis - It was evidently a classified model of some sort. Bubbles's chassis, despite its size and physical strength, is just a large, strong and robust high-fidelity humanoid chassis. It does not have death rays, EMP generators and the like. Droid Zero-Six is probably a more immediate threat to public safety than Bubbles thanks to his commercially-available heavy load lifter chassis mixed with a clumsy personality.

[Dave H]

So it could be that:
1) Bubbles was allowed to keep the chassis as sign of respect for her loyal service
(snippity)
I like the 1st option best, so in my head that will be canon

Having worked on a bit of military gear in my career, I can offer a slightly darker reason why they'd allow Bubbles to keep her chassis. It may be keyed to her specifically, to keep the enemy from capturing it and replacing her with their own AI. Removing her from it may turn it into useless scrap. In that case it would have been cheaper to let her keep it rather than destroy the expensive chassis and buy her a civilian one.

[OldGoat]

So it could be that:
1) Bubbles was allowed to keep the chassis as sign of respect for her loyal service

The gubbermint wouldn't do that without lots of falderal, flapdoodle, and photo-ops.  Bubbles represents a failed program to someone in the web of multiple bureaucracies, and they wanted her out the door, out of sight, and out of mind.  Bureaucracy does, however, imply lots and lots of layers.  People closer to Bubbles, her techs and their immediate supervisors, may have indeed wanted to "do her a solid" while the brass over them wanted plausible deniability of her existence.