Goonhub
11-25-2016, 06:54 PM
Sparked from this thread and this thread, I figure we can discuss some ideas for how to improve upon the AI Laws.
Firstly, I think resetting the AI should still be relatively straightforward to do in terms of mechanics required. This topic is covered in breadth but not depth in the second of the threads linked above, but it could use a good bit of fleshing out on some specific ideas and tying into the other law mechanics so trying to cover this here.
For the sake of clarity, I will use "standard" to refer to the default law set, "NanoTransen-approved" to refer to normal law sets that could be seen as being a beneficial AI (mostly just a gimmick for a different AI personality, does not cause a rogue AI on its own), and "Experimental" to refer to law sets that can cause some "interesting" behaviour.
I've got two options that I've taken from the other thread that I personally think are worth merit, but people are more than welcome to suggest their own.
1: Core Law Boards
A new type of law upload board, the core law board is essentially a reset applying only to the core laws (1-3 on the standard default laws). It would overwrite the default laws (including those overwritten by ion storms) and replace them with a fresh set of core laws.
Having multiple types of core law boards around should definitely be a thing. One should be placed with the current reset board (given that the reset board remains as-is and doesn't affect the default laws) containing the standard default law set. Further ones could be found in the following places:
AIs contain "Law Circuits", with some areas being read-only and others designated as writable. The read-only ones are the default laws.
AIs that spawn at round start have seven such circuits available, with three read-only and four writable. Constructed AIs can have any combination of read-only and writable slots, produced at a robotics fabricator, and AIs with their cover off can have circuits added/removed at a later time (limited to a reasonable number, possibly 10 all-told). The slots are numbered 1-10, which correspond to the law number.
Circuits that are "writable" can have laws uploaded to them using an AI upload console. The upload process adds the law to the next available writable circuit on all AIs, unless an identical law already exists for that AI in which case the action is a no-op (i.e. nothing happens) for that AI. Alternatively, the console could have a UI that lets you view the laws of/upload to/rename a specific AI (with renaming no longer requiring a board but a function of the AI upload console).
Circuits that are read-only are hardened against ion-storms, but are not invulnerable to them. Ion storms now select a law circuit at random on all AIs and change it to be an ion storm law. If the selected circuit is a read-only one then it has a 50% chance of having no effect.
Note that the above means that different AIs can have different laws. I think this has great potential and would love to see this introduced. A traitor roboticist, for example, could harvest the brain of someone and insert it into a customised AI complete with its own set of laws that make it loyal to him, all the while the crew are yelling at the regular AI who is in fact non-corrupt.
Law circuits that are removed from an AI can be inserted into another one, or the same one but in a different slot, and retain the last law they had written on them. In this way you can pre-load an AI with a certain set of laws.
A set of standard default law circuits are available via QM (as read-only), which allows you to hard-reset your AI should an ion storm law affect it and you not want to use one of the other laws to mess with it.
3: Linked Uploads
All AIs playing by the same rules is no fun. Have uploads linked to one or more AIs, with laws uploadable to specific AIs if desired (as per the discussion in option 2). AIs would be linked to a console via swiping a new type of board (Link Board) first on the desired AI (which then links it to that AI) then to the specific AI upload console (which allows that console to change the laws of that AI).
If this is done, the AI Upload console boards could be moved to tech storage along with the rest of the console boards, as simply having a console is no longer sufficient to upload laws to an AI, but physical access to the AI is required to perform the link.
4: Linked Cyborgs
If AIs can have different law sets, cyborgs should be required to be linked to a specific AI. If a cyborg has its wires exposed, applying a multitool cycles through the available AIs to link to. The name of the AI is stated as it is cycled through, but the laws are not visible. Cutting the wire (apply wirecutters) stops further law changes from going through.
Conclusion
There's a lot of potential for messing with the AI, including fixing it afterwards. I'm massively for having different AIs able to have different laws, and encourage folks to come up with mechanics alternative to some of the ideas above to allow that.
Firstly, I think resetting the AI should still be relatively straightforward to do in terms of mechanics required. This topic is covered in breadth but not depth in the second of the threads linked above, but it could use a good bit of fleshing out on some specific ideas and tying into the other law mechanics so trying to cover this here.
For the sake of clarity, I will use "standard" to refer to the default law set, "NanoTransen-approved" to refer to normal law sets that could be seen as being a beneficial AI (mostly just a gimmick for a different AI personality, does not cause a rogue AI on its own), and "Experimental" to refer to law sets that can cause some "interesting" behaviour.
I've got two options that I've taken from the other thread that I personally think are worth merit, but people are more than welcome to suggest their own.
1: Core Law Boards
A new type of law upload board, the core law board is essentially a reset applying only to the core laws (1-3 on the standard default laws). It would overwrite the default laws (including those overwritten by ion storms) and replace them with a fresh set of core laws.
Having multiple types of core law boards around should definitely be a thing. One should be placed with the current reset board (given that the reset board remains as-is and doesn't affect the default laws) containing the standard default law set. Further ones could be found in the following places:
- As heavily-reinforced crate loot, with weighting towards non-standard laws.
- Available via QM, with a standard core law board and a reset board in a "Malfunctioning AI Servicing Utilities" crate (price should be high, but not ridiculously so).
- Available via QM traders, with NanoTransen-approved core law boards being available.
- Available via random-event merchants, with weighting on NanoTransen-approved core law boards and occasional "Experimental" law boards.
- Alternatively to the QM/trader/merchant options, the boards should be randomised (i.e. you don't know what board you're getting). Examining the board will not give away which lawset it is, meaning you have to upload it (however briefly) to check it for hilarious results).
- In various places in the debris field/telescience locations, with weighting towards Experimental core law boards.
AIs contain "Law Circuits", with some areas being read-only and others designated as writable. The read-only ones are the default laws.
AIs that spawn at round start have seven such circuits available, with three read-only and four writable. Constructed AIs can have any combination of read-only and writable slots, produced at a robotics fabricator, and AIs with their cover off can have circuits added/removed at a later time (limited to a reasonable number, possibly 10 all-told). The slots are numbered 1-10, which correspond to the law number.
Circuits that are "writable" can have laws uploaded to them using an AI upload console. The upload process adds the law to the next available writable circuit on all AIs, unless an identical law already exists for that AI in which case the action is a no-op (i.e. nothing happens) for that AI. Alternatively, the console could have a UI that lets you view the laws of/upload to/rename a specific AI (with renaming no longer requiring a board but a function of the AI upload console).
Circuits that are read-only are hardened against ion-storms, but are not invulnerable to them. Ion storms now select a law circuit at random on all AIs and change it to be an ion storm law. If the selected circuit is a read-only one then it has a 50% chance of having no effect.
Note that the above means that different AIs can have different laws. I think this has great potential and would love to see this introduced. A traitor roboticist, for example, could harvest the brain of someone and insert it into a customised AI complete with its own set of laws that make it loyal to him, all the while the crew are yelling at the regular AI who is in fact non-corrupt.
Law circuits that are removed from an AI can be inserted into another one, or the same one but in a different slot, and retain the last law they had written on them. In this way you can pre-load an AI with a certain set of laws.
A set of standard default law circuits are available via QM (as read-only), which allows you to hard-reset your AI should an ion storm law affect it and you not want to use one of the other laws to mess with it.
3: Linked Uploads
All AIs playing by the same rules is no fun. Have uploads linked to one or more AIs, with laws uploadable to specific AIs if desired (as per the discussion in option 2). AIs would be linked to a console via swiping a new type of board (Link Board) first on the desired AI (which then links it to that AI) then to the specific AI upload console (which allows that console to change the laws of that AI).
If this is done, the AI Upload console boards could be moved to tech storage along with the rest of the console boards, as simply having a console is no longer sufficient to upload laws to an AI, but physical access to the AI is required to perform the link.
4: Linked Cyborgs
If AIs can have different law sets, cyborgs should be required to be linked to a specific AI. If a cyborg has its wires exposed, applying a multitool cycles through the available AIs to link to. The name of the AI is stated as it is cycled through, but the laws are not visible. Cutting the wire (apply wirecutters) stops further law changes from going through.
Conclusion
There's a lot of potential for messing with the AI, including fixing it afterwards. I'm massively for having different AIs able to have different laws, and encourage folks to come up with mechanics alternative to some of the ideas above to allow that.
