You are making the assumption they are two separate things. Roko's statement is vague, and can refer to any degree of restriction.
Actually, it's you who are making the assumption they're the SAME thing.
What stops May from doing exactly what Pintsize does for a living is her parole conditions, which means she has to use the substandard body that she has to maintain.
And there are two ways to fix it.
1. Remove restrictions for her parole, which actually are quite for a reason: first, allowing convicted criminal to do things they abused to do a crime is a offer to repeat; second, allowing her to earn money by renting a body utility means she can afford herself not to be in society but just sitting on her sofa doing AI stuff. Both are, actually, removing a very reason for parole. That wouldn't be parole, that would be pardon.
2. Give her a body that isn't substandard, which is a thing nerd gamer lass can afford herself quite casually, without breaking in her living qualities.
Maybe QC uses superscience (which can break the fundamental law of physics regarding the conservation of energy) so heat is not a problem. Either way, that stuff is going to be expensive.
This stuff is cheap enough for a lass without some kind of declared work just come to the store and buy this kind of stuff on the spot. Even if it's expensive purchase for her; still, it's not breaking her value of life. Yes, it's interesting what does Marygold doing for living. I don't think it was ever stated? still, she isn't a character I like so I could skip it.
Or, by the way, by any of embodied AI who is out there working shitty jobs, which is declared as a happening situation (and fighting ring arc, actually, highlights it directly).
May, on the other hand, has been given a crappy body as a gift - it is NOT a condition of her parole, as 4173 explicitly says. Yes, she's burdened with the cost of maintaining it,but if she doesn't want to do that, she should go back to being disembodied until she can save up enough to buy one.
There is no program to give AI bodies (and if there was, May should go take advantage of it, rather than try to get the parole board to give her one - you should be asking the correct department in government, they're not monolithic).
Wait, wait, wait. Where is the
gift thing came? US government, as far as I know, isn't about "gift" things, and it was never said it was a "gift". They're usually doing what they MUST do, and you must fight to even get it. And why do you think Roko speaking with
parole board in 4173? Speaking to parole officer, Roko doesn't asking him for a body. She is asking him to put his thoughts about May's body quality as a parole officer statement, in writing, because it's exactly a kind of thing you'd better have to present your case in any department (and because, actually, it's a part of reasons parole officers and paroles exists - they do supposed to help with things like this; Roko is, actually, asking the parole officer to do his damned JOB).
Body was given, until US government started to work completely other way I know it's working now, under some kind of approved program in the jurisdiction that is covering said sphere (conditions of the said program is unknown). I have no idea which branch of executive would be responsible for AI matters, it can be bizzare - for example, currently questions of orbital security in US are under authority of Federal Communication Comission ("as majority of orbital objects are communication satellites, and communication satellites are communication devices, and communication devices are under the authority of FCC"). Trying to guess where would be body-assignment department is quite useless. Still, it's 99% that it's NOT parole system, until the vast majority of any kind of AI to whom bodies must be assigned ARE parolees. That's how US government operates. Feel free to correct me, because my last close practical interaction with one was, like, 10 years ago.
And if parole system
has dedicated body-assigment department, the only reason of such department to exist would be providing AI offenders platforms (what else would it do?!). And that means it's considered more important then, for example, providing shelters or jobs for human paroles (because there is no such departments in current parole system in MA), and happens often enough to justify payed position of exact person Roko is speaking with, and the very existance of his budget. For the reference. If he have, let's say, one ex-convict AI in MA who requesting a body per three months (does it qualify for "niche case of niche cases"? yes, I taken this particular number that fits my example, from my head, as the only info we know it's "rare"), and budget for a granting such request is absolute zero, and we suppose this particular department consists from one person, and he is paid by minimum governmental employe wage (GS-1 stage 1, it's, like, unqualified physical laborer or phone clerk), it's cheaper to fire him and give ex-convict 5000$ for a body under parole officer supervision.
Also, I'm sorry, but as an engineer you're using "explicitly" word very casually. 4173 doesn't say
explicitly that having a body isn't a condition of her parole, it's implication you're making (I'm not against implications, just in case). The only things relevant it's saying explicitly:
1. that vast majority of AI offenders are disembodied or have bodies to return;
2. that disembodied AI asking for a body is a rare thing;
3. providing disembodied AI a body has limited budget.
And all of this said by a man who is definitly intrested in doing nothing in this particular case, as a reasons he would not do anything.
That's important, because something being a condition for parole doesn't automatically oblige US government to provide it. It's parole who must show that he can comply to this conditions.
Just in case you (or somebody else here who is interested) don't know: how paroles are executed in MA.
1. The inmate who is allowed to parole asking for hearing OR not waiver one if it's automatic one.
2. If it's approved, hearing is scheduled.
3. After (if) parole is approved, release plan, which is presented by parole (!), came to parole officer. He's checking if the planned conditions do exist and are suitable for parole. Like, parole is writing: "I'm gonna live in my owned flat, and work as a construction worker, that's my qualifications and that's a agreement by the company "Build.Inc" to get me there". Then parole officer came to the flat (to be sure it's existing, free, and that it's not violate some parole conditions; yes, parole conditions can forbid parole to live in his own flat), and came to work to ensure that yes, such an agreement exists. That's what I said when I said that May's conditions are quite mild - she wasn't obliged to present workplace in her release plan, and usually inmate should find a work BEFORE he/she would be released.
4. When parole plan is verified and approved, inmate is released, not before.
So, if her parole conditions does include (again, explicitly or by implication) that she must have a body, she must explain to the parole officer where does she going to take one. Again, it's not matter which is this body. If her parole plan including her being on server, she should explain where would she get a server. If her parole plan including her being in Pintsize-type chassis, she should explain where would she get Pintsize-type chassis.
Imagine a parole, with a condition to have a residence, who does write: "I'm going to live in Section 8 flat, which I'm going to request just now, and working as a constructor worker". Parole officer supposed to help parole to make such a request (by helping writing a request, providing documents for application, allowing inmate to communicate with application authorities), still, parole wouldn't be released until he would be granted with Sec8 voucher OR changes his release plan. Still, no way U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is part of parole system here, or in any way supposed to give parole a flat just because he is parole.
BUT it's quite possible that parole income (personal and household one) is lower then some thresholds that exists, so he would be priviledged in waiting lists (until state has a special clauses for parolees). And his parole officer is supposed to help with secure it, and he would present papers that parole have a obligatory expences law-abiding person in the same working position doesn't.
Again, it's not because he is parole by itself! it's because he is eglible for the program and his living conditions are more dire then majority of law-abiding persons (for the very beginning, she must pay 80$ per month just because she is on probation).
The only thing it implies is that it is a model manufactured specifically for ex-offenders (or maybe offenders in general) - one possibility is a lack of defensive systems that could harm people. None of the other stuff you said is implied by the model name.
Actually, it is implying that ex-offenders need bodies often enough to design and produce a model for this purpose exactly, with special limitations; and, if you think about it, that this model is so popular that bodies so used as May's one is exists. Which kinda reduce the power of statement that the vast majority of AI offenders never need bodies.
Still, it can be just a named modification. Or a joke.
Your truest conviction is not relevant to the discussion. I am discussing the comic, not your headcanon or wish fulfilment.
Comic declaration is that humans are ultimately responsible for the AIs, and, actually, are ultimately responsible for everybody around, their feelings and well-being. Again, it's moral question, and yes, as a moral question it's a question of beliefs. US system also believes that parole system are responsible for parolees enough to care and declare that parole system should actually help them with residence, employment, financial and personal stuff. They're writing it plainly.
And ALSO parole is under any kind of benefits of being a citizen of US. Common law-obliging citizen doesn't have parole officer who should help them to write a request for Section 8 (for example) and provide documents about income just because they're paroles.
My real question is: has this already been addressed somewhere in universe and I missed it? Or is this still a head-canon thing for everyone?
Before Singularity
it was a simple setting in personality settings of robotic personality, the same way as ethnics was ("regional settings"). Such settings could be changed by user (Marten did it about regional settings), and by AI himself (same).
After, I think, they're kind of "locked" in a gender that Singularity hit them: because the way of AI mind internal working is kinda obscure for "common" AI. Still, to change such a setting you'll need to want it first, and to want it you'll need to feel some gender as "yours" first, which is kind of Catch-22.