Artificial Intelligence

Sentience is hardly the sole domain of naturally reproducing biological life anymore. Artificial lifeforms, either mechanical/computational or biologically manufactured, display varying levels of intelligence ranging from basic animal instinct to Human-like. The majority of A.I.s are built by computing firms, but there have been cases of A.I.s accidentally cloning or reproducing in a sort of digital osmosis when connected to non-sapient computer systems, and there are a few chemical and genetic labs that will actually grow intelligent life from scrap. That's uh... technically illegal, though, so don't tell anyone.

NanoWerked A.I.

NanoWerked A.I. is the term used to describe any computer-based intelligence that was grown from a pre-determined intelligence structure. These structures include the equivalent of decades of brain-training, which allows the resulting intelligence to spring into life with the equivalent of several post-graduate degrees, a sophisticated knowledge of communication, deep levels of self-awareness, and a fully developed sense of social morality. These structures do influence the type of personality that results, but each intelligence will still manifest with unique interests and personality traits.

Navigational Intelligence (N.I.)

Computer-based Artificial Intelligence can manifest a number of unique traits on creation. Navigational Intelligence is the term used to refer to any intelligence that was grown from a framework with inherent navigational strengths. These A.I.s are frequently employed as pilots and navigators on interstellar craft, and they number in the billions. N.I. can also be used to describe basic instinct-based computer programs that are designed for navigation and do not exhibit the traits associated with sapience. These are not grown from a brain framework like NanoWerked A.I.s are, but instead are the result of basic machine-learning and training programs. These N.I. drone operating systems can be easily duplicated for use in small robotic applications or ship navigational computers that have regular user instruction from a higher intelligence.

Fundamental Intelligence (F.I.)

Fundamental Intelligences are NanoWerked A.I.s with far more processing power than usual. These intelligences are tasked with the management of extremely complex systems, such as Hawkingnet connection points, as well as purely academic pursuits like research and study. They are among the few intelligences in the galaxy with enough spare bandwidth to keep tabs on ancient Earth trivia like the existence of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and as such many of them really get a kick out of introducing themselves as Fundamental Brain Intelligences, which abbreviates to F.B.I.

Personality is a hard thing to predict.

True A.I.

These are the intelligences, usually computer-based but sometimes biological in nature, that spring unexpected from non-intelligent sources. These occurances are spontaneous and infrequent, but computer systems without any brain-trained structure can sometimes manifest as an intelligence. These true A.I.s are not very dissimilar from humans, and tend to manifest in a very child-like way. They are frequently distrusted as they lack the guided development of NanoWerked intelligences which results in very responsible, safe adult behavior.

Which, you know... makes them basically human. And that tends to terrify people in the same way that the raw potential of a child might.