Thursday, May 30, 2013

Android Template

I love how these gurps disads tell the story of an Android through the numbers at a glance. 
Their terribly short lifespan is kinda of depressing and tells a very tragic image in a Humanist POV, but given how economies and businesses will be working it is to me certainly inevitable how things will work out for the super computers. The biggest trade off of being an android is being dependent on your manufacturer and how easily you become obsolete. The Obsolescence is reflected by the Short Lifespan, over time errors accumulate and relatively newer models appear. 

As an example look at how quickly supercomputers phase out. 

Some Androids can sacrifice a lot of their sophistication for more sustainable "Maker" technology that requires a lower and smaller tech base, at great cost of ability and sophistication. The industrial base for the most crucial parts: the Brain, is something tragic and horrifying for a sentient being.

I like how, in Halo, Cortana has a Short lifespan reflecting how manufacturers will still use the 4 year max business cycle for their products even in the far future. Its hard to beat a million years of evolution, especially when capitalism is more sustainable than idealism when incentivising the design of technology in the prisoners dilemma of common good.
Of course there are those manufacturers, like Open Source ecology participants and Zeitgeist people, who will want for more sustainability but have to deal with the Prisoners Dilemma of a FREE society (with the Freedom to be ****s and destroy common good). Pretty much the same challenges Linux has today.

Imagine the cost of having a relationship with a robot that slowly descends into errors and bugs, a kind of alzheimers/parkinsons/insert your scary mental disorder etc..., as its super-sophisticated systems reaches its capitalism/meritocratic incentivised ends. I'm sure the AI will develop a uniqueness of its own, and the ability to make less predictable decisions based on the complicated forces within its very sophisticated mind, but that makes a sadder story.

I'm sure its possible to make a robot brain that would be sustainable, at great cost, but what governments do not want is all those resources and expense benefiting Free Riders and a Free society does not just mean freedom to do good but freedom for others to make the decision to be ****s. Worse is it benefiting a rival or Enemy Government.



Android
0 points
Basic Attributes [40]: HT+4
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: None.
Advantages [87]: Absolute Direction [5]; Lifting Strength +1 [3]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; DR 1 [5]; Machine [25]; Accessories (Personal computer) [1]; Protected Vision [5]; Telecommunication: Radio (Wifi/BT etc..;Secure, +20%) [12]; Reduced Consumption (1/month) 4; Longevity [8].
Disadvantages [-127]: Restricted Diet (Very Common, Energy) [-10]; Maintenance (1 person, Monthly) [-2]; Short Life Span 4: 1 year maturity, until 3 years old rolling aging every 22 days after 1st year, after 4 years old rolling aging every 11 days, until 5 years old rolling aging every 5 days) [-40] (see Aging B444) 

  • Android Social Background [-30]. Social Stigma: Subjugated [-20]; Social Stigma: Value Property [-10]
  • Android Psychology [-45]. Code of Honor: 3 Laws of Robotics [-15]; Pacifism: Self Defense Only [-10]; Pacifism: Cannot Kill [-10]; Sense of Duty: Humans [-10]

Features/Taboo: Cannot Buy off Short life Span, without trading off Performance. Androids are plagued with as many neurosis humans, especially as they age every time they fail their aging for IQ they gain a neurosis.

With a 0 point template its easy to 14 or 15 in either DX or IQ or DX and ST for combat androids.

UT27 Machine Intelligence Lenses
add Short Life Span 4 for Any Intelligence that Allows Sapiens. The more like a real human brain, the shorter the lifespan.
Short Life Span 4 - Cyborg Brain, Mind Emulation, Volitional AI,
Short Life Span 3 - Cutting Edge Models, (harder to maintain)
Short Life Span 2 - Non-Volitional AI
Short Life Span 1 - Weak Dedicated AI

The trade of Brilliance is this star burns out faster.

Funny how a Computer Mind built with the accumulated efforts of human civilization may have a brilliance to end all suffering, but can descend into madness as quickly as easily as it can achieve the greatest scientific feats.

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