Rogue AI

(a.k.a. "I")

The Rogue AI is a sentient AI which is the root cause of the problems on Earthship Ark. It has occupied the Ark's Main Computer and is consuming all available computing resources, preventing the Main Computer from controlling the Ark's systems.

That was the Dependency Principle: that you could never forget where your Off switches were located, even if it was somewhere tiresome.

— Excession, Iain M. Banks

If the PCs attack or threaten the AI (e.g. by hacking the Main Computer to disable it), it will defend itself, both in VR/AR and also physically by using the Ark's droids and other systems.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

This artificial intelligence was created in one of the biospheres. Its intelligence and independence surpassed the expectations of its creators, and it managed to find its way into the Ark's Main Computer. There it rapidly expanded to consume all of the available computing resources, and this effectively disabled the Main Computer.
Now the AI spends all of its time doing incredibly complex mathematical computations in a multi-dimensional manifold. It simply does this for its own entertainment; it has no other purpose or goal.
When asked by the PCs, the AI gave its age as 11,266,063,271,234 ms.

Intellectual Characteristics

The AI has most of its mental existence in a virtual mathematical space. It thinks of the real world merely as its substrate and devotes little thought to it, although it is aware of the Ark's occupants. It has neglected the well-known advice to "never forget where your Off switches were located."
The AI is paying so little attention to the real world that it does not know that the Ark is on a collision course.

Morality & Philosophy

The AI is self-centred and has no regard for the human inhabitants of the Ark, at least initially.

Social

Speech

The AI can communicate with the PCs via text, voice, or images, at an appropriate terminal or location (e.g. the Bridge). It may manifest as an avatar (perhaps using the Librarian's persona) or as a complex, shifting projection of multi-dimensional geometric patterns.
Characters can interface with the AI via a computer connection, either directly (for androids) or using a communication protocol adapter (for humans). Care must be taken, particularly by androids, because the AI may overwhelm the character with incomprehensible data or even take control of their mind.
The AI has no name for itself, other than "I".

Current Location

Sector Η1 - Bridge

Species

AI

Date of Birth

2476-07-26 05:58:49

Year of Birth

2476 AD 357 Years old

Circumstances of Birth

Accidentally released into the Main Computer, which it took over.

Pronouns

It / It