Artificial Intelligence, or AI, denotes two meanings. The first meaning is sophisticated programming designed to perform a specific task or function, often called "Expert systems". Examples of this sort of limited AI are drone and car auto-pilots and Self-Autonomous Knowbots on the Matrix. These programs are not truly self-aware, but are capable of complex behavior and calculations equalling or exceeding metahuman ability.
However, the more common meaning of AI is a truly self-aware, self-sustaining program capable of directing themselves independently of human control not linked to any host or grid; in other words, an artifical sentient lifeform. AIs once were the stories of crazy deckers and programmers, and the subject of many science-fiction simflicks, books (both fiction and non-fiction), and speculation. The creation of an AI would require at least the complex programming of a Self-Autonomous Knowbot, immense processing power (possibly an Ultraviolet host), several years of neural network processing, and several unknown factors that are actively being pursued in research by computer megacorporations.
AIs of the Sixth World
In the Sixth World, three AIs are rumored to exist in some circles:
- Megaera - The AI inadvertently created by Renraku, and captured to create Deus
- Deus - The AI responsible for the Renraku Arcology shutdown
- Mirage - The first AI, derived from the US Military and the Echo Mirage project
References
- Matrix pp 150-151