| “ | What does the A stand for? | ” |
–Caboose, Season 1 | ||
Artificial Intelligence or AIs are intelligent computer programs that mimic human behavior. They come in two varieties, dumb AIs and smart AIs.
Dumb AIs[]
Dumb AIs are simply very advanced computer programs. While they can act human, they can't truly learn or think independently of their programming. Because they are only code, they can be backed up or copied. Dumb AIs can be used for a number of tasks that do not require true intelligence, from monitoring facilities to controlling spaceships.
Significant dumb AIs in the series include FILSS, Vic, and Lopez.
Smart AIs[]
In contrast to dumb AIs, smart AIs are actually based on a real human mind. They can even have residual memories from the mind they're based on. They are capable of learning and true emotions and are significantly more capable than dumb AIs. This comes with a downside--because of their increased capacity to learn and process information, they have a limited lifespan, at the end of which they become dangerously rampant. Smart AIs cannot be copied.
Ordinarily, creating a smart AI will destroy the brain the AI is based on. However, the Director used flash-cloning to create a copy of his brain from which the AI Alpha was created. Beta, based on the Director's lost love Allison, also appeared when Alpha was created.
The only two fully smart AIs depicted in the series are Alpha (Pvt. Leonard Church) and Beta (Agent Texas).
Smart AI fragments[]
Project Freelancer originally desired multiple AI in order to experiment with implantation into non-SPARTAN combat personnel; however, their request to the UNSC was denied, and they were instead limited to the use of a single AI. In an attempt to find a "creative solution" to this issue, the project tried various methods to make copies of Alpha, all of which ended in failure. The results of these failed attempts- mostly computational rejects and bad programming variants- were stored at the project's main facility in its holographic archives, and were eventually destroyed by Agent Washington via the use of an emergency EMP. Inspired by the spontaneous appearance of Beta (due to his extremely strong memories of Allison) the Director devised a method for breaking Alpha into several "fragments" for use in the project's experiments. Each fragment was not a full smart AI, but was still more than simply a dumb AI. To do this, he tortured Alpha psychologically, presenting him with scenarios in which he always failed. Eventually, this process caused his mind to fracture. The Director then used a Huragok, also known as an Engineer, to harvest the broken parts and turn them into one of the fragment AIs. This process continued until Epsilon, the fragment containing Alpha's memories of the torture, was created and implanted into Agent Washington, who went temporarily insane until Epsilon was removed. It was permanently shut down after Tex and Omega attacked Project Freelancer and crashed the Mother of Invention.
While they were still being created, each fragment represented some facet of Alpha's original personality or mind. The Counselor then matched each fragment to a Freelancer based on their respective personalities.
Many years after the end of Project Freelancer, Epsilon created a new version of Beta. The Director was also able to create several dozen incomplete versions of her by unknown means. It is unclear exactly what status these AIs had, whether they were fragments, dumb AIs, or something else entirely.
AI fragments[]
- Delta (logic)
- Gamma (deceit)
- Epsilon (memory)
- Eta (fear)
- Iota (happiness)
- Sigma (creativity/ambition)
- Theta (trust)
- Omega (rage)
- Xi (either love or greed)
Delta was the first fragment created and Epsilon was the last, but it is unconfirmed in what order the other fragments appeared.
Implantation[]
| Name | Matched WIth | Original Implantation | Other Implantations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | n/a | n/a | Washington/Reconstruction |
| Beta | n/a | n/a | Meta/Reconstruction |
| Gamma | Wyoming | Wyoming | Meta/Reconstruction |
| Delta | York | York |
S. Dakota /Recovery One
Meta/Reconstruction |
| Epsilon | Unknown | Washington |
Washington /Season 9
|
| Eta | Washington or S. Dakota | Carolina | Meta/Season 10 |
| Iota | Washington or S. Dakota | Carolina | Meta/Season 10 |
| Sigma | Carolina | Maine | n/a |
| Theta | North Dakota | North Dakota | Meta/ Reconstruction |
| Omega | Texas | Texas |
Caboose /Season 1
Everyone/Season 5
Meta/Reconstruction |