Uses for Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

[SSgt Baloo]

Alternate Thread Title: How do I use Artificial Intlligence when I have so little Real Intelligence?

 

In this thead, The Monster describes a schtick his wife's character, The Chauffer does. The Chauffer summons a friendly AI that is the "spirit" of the device, which can then be persuaded to do favors for the summoner. Shades of My Mother the Car! All I've ever done with an AI is put a computer on a spaceship. And it wasn't a very smart computer, either.

 

I've never explored the limits of this ability, either as a GM or a player. Just what are some of the many uses that AI can be used for? GMs: What uses of AI have you allowed in your campaigns? Players: what have your GMs allowed you to [linethru]get away with[/linethru] use AI for?

[SteveZilla]

Re: Uses for Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

 

Artifical Intelligence: A Blonde dying her hair Brown (or Red).

 

I've heard of AI's being bought without any Focus Lim so that they would be "noncoporeal" -- a ghost/spirit. Not sure if it's legal, but I've heard of it.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Uses for Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

 

Alternate Thread Title: How do I use Artificial Intlligence when I have so little Real Intelligence?

 

In this thead, The Monster describes a schtick his wife's character, The Chauffer does. The Chauffer summons a friendly AI that is the "spirit" of the device, which can then be persuaded to do favors for the summoner. Shades of My Mother the Car! All I've ever done with an AI is put a computer on a spaceship. And it wasn't a very smart computer, either.

 

I've never explored the limits of this ability, either as a GM or a player. Just what are some of the many uses that AI can be used for? GMs: What uses of AI have you allowed in your campaigns? Players: what have your GMs allowed you to [linethru]get away with[/linethru] use AI for?

 

I do not believe you can buy an AI to do that. It would be like buying a Follower defined as taking over other people so they obey you. That's way too abusive even if it is a legal build (which I don't think it is).

 

As I mentioned in other threads, I've used Computers (not necessarily AIs) to allow some of the Character's Powers to operate autonamously(sp). There's a published example of this in Champions and Gadgets and Gear (the Advanced Handset radio). I've used it to operate a character escape clause Teleport power (for cases where the destination needs to be decided upon at the time the character teleports instead of preset), autopilot a character's actions, simulate a possessing entity with unique skills or abilities that only manafest when the AI is in control of the character (I've also done this with Multiform, but in the case of the AI It was a Follower with no body of his own, and once as a really nasty hunted, though the character never did see play).

 

And of course, there's always the standard vehicle autopilot or base computer.

[SteveZilla]

Re: Uses for Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

 

I do not believe you can buy an AI to do that. It would be like buying a Follower defined as taking over other people so they obey you. That's way too abusive even if it is a legal build (which I don't think it is).

 

As I mentioned in other threads, I've used Computers (not necessarily AIs) to allow some of the Character's Powers to operate autonamously(sp). There's a published example of this in Champions and Gadgets and Gear (the Advanced Handset radio). I've used it to operate a character escape clause Teleport power (for cases where the destination needs to be decided upon at the time the character teleports instead of preset), autopilot a character's actions, simulate a possessing entity with unique skills or abilities that only manafest when the AI is in control of the character (I've also done this with Multiform, but in the case of the AI It was a Follower with no body of his own, and once as a really nasty hunted, though the character never did see play).

 

And of course, there's always the standard vehicle autopilot or base computer.

 

I was having similar thoughts about that. Summon gets you what you summon, but doesn't get you anything else "for free". In this case, the "For Free" was the machine it was "summoned into". To do this (make a normal machine into a machine+AI) would take a Major Transformation Attack.

 

Also, wouldn't such an AI need some senses included in the build?

[Dust Raven]

Re: Uses for Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

 

I was having similar thoughts about that. Summon gets you what you summon, but doesn't get you anything else "for free". In this case, the "For Free" was the machine it was "summoned into". To do this (make a normal machine into a machine+AI) would take a Major Transformation Attack.

 

Also, wouldn't such an AI need some senses included in the build?

 

Actually, you could buy the entire wishful writeup for an animated machine as a Summoned creature (Must Inhabit Local, Arrives Under Own Power). It works the same way as a necromancers animate dead ability, which turns an available corpse into a mindless ally.

[SteveZilla]

Re: Uses for Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

 

That still feels like a gimme that *depends* upon the character's F/X of being able to "wake up" a machine. It forces the assumption that all machines can be "woken up". Not to mention that even if this passes, it has a visible F/X, so it's fairly obvious what's happening.

 

Summon w/ Must Inhabit Local (being a limitation) is, IMO, intended for an area which is "wild", and there is a chance the wild creature will not come. Casting "Summon Horse" right next to a big-city's Stable is not a valid use to get a horse, IMO.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Uses for Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

 

Summon w/ Must Inhabit Local (being a limitation) is, IMO, intended for an area which is "wild", and there is a chance the wild creature will not come. Casting "Summon Horse" right next to a big-city's Stable is not a valid use to get a horse, IMO.

 

It's still a valid lim. If horses, in your example, aren't in the area, the Power automatically fails. If they are, it can succeed (barring any other factors). Same thing with animating a machine. If an applicable machine isn't already in the immediate area, none can be "summoned", hence the Limitation. You could instead put Focus (machine of opportunity) I suppose, but the value would pretty much be the same anyway.

[SteveZilla]

Re: Uses for Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

 

Okay, after browsing though The Ultimate Superpowers Database, The Fantasy Hero Grimoire II, and The Ultimate Mystic, I finally found Undead "Creation" spells in The Fantasy Hero Grimoire.

 

They are all built on Summon, and the "Body/Bones" needed aren't the Focus, but are just a Limitation on the spell. The thing is, because of Summon's rules, this means you can use a "Dispel Summon" on them. This doesn't seem... right... to me. I can't think of any books/stories where there was a "Spell of Universal Undead-B-Gone". Must less one targeted to a type/class of Undead. And the same Dispel Summon also gets rid of truly Summoned creatures/beings.

 

These builds aren't Summoning an AI that conveniently finds a "home" in a nearby body, but instead Summon a complete character sheet as shown in the Hero System Bestiary.

 

IMO the ability for any Undead to be Dispelled (Summon) is one reason to consider it not the correct way to create Undead. Another reason is that even if Slavishly Loyal, it is inevitable that at some point, it will no longer obey it's creator. Then there's the Summon Limit. What good Necromancer can only "summon" one Skeleton? I think it would be better built as a Transformation Attack (Transform Dead to Undead).

 

Now, if the "machine" character (not AI) has it's own TK or STR, w/ Affects Real World, Only Usable Though The Machine It's 'Inhabiting'(-?), then I could see it working. It would be similar IMO to summoning an "Earth spirit" to inhabit a stone statue, animating it for a short time. The AI's STR/TK is what moves the object around. For it to use movement, the STR/TK would need to be sufficient to carry the object it's "inhabiting" IMO.