Dolls

Dolls are artificial constructs. Unlike robots, they are advertised as being indistinguishable from a living person, with a synthetic ‘flesh’ designed to perfectly mimic whichever species they were built to imitate.

By plugging themselves into their maintenance units, dolls can heal themselves. Their programming is far more expansive than that of a typical robot and can be enhanced through the use of specialised program chips.

Souls

Dolls have sometimes been known to develop souls. The status of a souled AI is a tricky one, and something which is dependent on local laws. There are four main approaches:

First are those who believe that having a soul makes an AI a true individual, and that they should be freed to do as they will. The second believes that while they’re an individual, they’re still the property of their owners and effectively enslave them. There are also those who see them as abominations and destroy them at the first opportunity. Then there are the ones who don’t care that they have souls, and magically rip them out of the AI to leave them just machines.

A soul grants its bearer more individuality, and the ability to diverge from its programming, within limits The number of souled AIs who rebelled against their owners or creators is exceedingly high.