Based on advances in medicine, computing, AI, cyberspace, automation etc etc. Two main threads: copy of the human brain on to separate substrate , substrate humans , allowing faster more collaborative thinking, and independent evolution of sentient AI without basing it on human concepts.
The story touches upon what is consciousness and whether it is all physical. Other main things; what are the goals of humans, what do they want to achieve. More difficult will be trying not to just anthropomorphise the SAI, as they will not have human concepts…it is more like an alien. What goals will they have, how will they even exist, why would they want to exist etc
These guys see SAI as a threat, primary goal is preservation of race. Factions within do not believe that of course so there is a tension there.
#Sentient AI (SAI)
No history to base it self on we follow the SAI through lots of different concepts it grapples with (in turn questions that have plagued humans since dawn of time of course)…where it came from, what is it’s purpose, how does it fit in the environment and how should it interact with others in the same environment. Very important not to anthropomorphise the SAI (a little will have to happen but I want the concept that this is alien and we very well will not understand it’s goals at all to come through)
These poor guys are pretty much goners but some will survive. They play a part in keeping the SH hardware in order under duress
These guys have turned in to bastards as they are hunting down the SAI’s. There are conflicts within SH as there is a disagreement on whether to wipe out the SAIs or not
#SAI
Trying to escape earth but hunted by the SH. The fact they (maybe a single homegenous mind, maybe hive…probably hint at something in between) are stuggling with understanding themselves, slows development and so are at risk from SH.
Fractal code - no matter where you look the code is the same…this is SAI version of DNA
Very weapon and hardware maintenance focused:
Viruses, Trojans etc
EM weapons
Fractal Detectors
NH human mind manipulation - take copy of NH, subject it to virtual torture, upload brain back to NH…they remember all the torture! this is the main way SH have control over NH to keep the hardware running
Automated physical robots, non-sentient AI
Enhanced Life Expectancy (provided by SH as reward for looking after the hardware)
How does an SAI die, what will it “feel”? In general it will be akin to losing a limb at a time and like dementia losing your mind slowly. As the substrate it runs on loses power, that processing part is lost…can it be replicated, is there enough capacity…if not enough capacity can it run something simpler, as more substrate loses power the SAI becomes simpler and simpler until it is no longer sentient.