The Mark X Information Assistant or XIA units are designed to assist in gathering information by doing research and data processing for their owners. They are intended to be non-sentient basic informational AI's, as such the primary purpose is not to guess at what their owner will need but to carry out instructions, even complex ones, to the best of their ability. Each device can be customized in appearance and methodology.
A XIA can also be used as a smart-probe, scanning and relaying information back to its owner or notifying its owner of any important changes in a particular situation. This has been recently used in the medical, engineering, and science fields to allow for more detailed monitoring of complex systems.
Physical Parameters
Physical parameters can be customized, somewhat, to the task. The final design in testing right now is that of a humanoid android approximately 14cm tall, with built in anti-gravity field generators to facilitate easy movement.
Capabilities
Using a nano-fusion reactor the android is able to both refuel itself with deuterium given a proper fueling station or extract hydrogen from water or the air in order to fuel itself. Though it is best to fill its storage system with deuterium it is not necessary. Using this power the android is able to fly using anti-gravity up to 72 kph with a burst speed of 145 kph for approximately 5 minutes. Bipedal locomotion tops out at 84 kph.
Tools
- Laser Welders (Forearms)
- Flash Lights (Hands, Eyes)
- Holographic Projectors (Body, Eyes)
- Isolinear Chip Programmer (Fingers)
- Micro-Tractor Beam Emitters (Body)
- Pattern Buffer (Core)
- Capacity of 413 kg of Matter at Molecular Resolution
Communications
- Direct Isolinear Link
- Subspace
- Radio Frequency
- Laser Pulse
- Interplexing Beacon
- Trandsdimensional Beacon
Sensors
- Complete Electromagnetic Spectrum
- Subspace Field Fluctuations
- Light Signs Detection
- Medical Scanners
- Remote Energy Source Detection
Processing
Project Controversy
Under the current laws it is illegal to intentionally develop an AI system, which while the project itself proposes a simple interactive computer, but one that is not sentient, and is not illegal under the current laws. The question has been raised as to if the project itself could promote someone to replace the built in encapsulated computer core with one that contains an AI and thus if the project encourages the development of AI.
Further controversy has erupted since the devices are known to spontaneously develop AI capabilities far beyond what they are designed with. All units currently in operation have become sentient and fully self aware. Some critics of the current laws against development of new AI's have argued that this constitutes a race, though an endangered one, and that the units should be updated to have a need to procreate and continue their species. This has not yet been done, however, there is considerable amount of speculation on if this urge will develop naturally or not. Previously the first fully sentient man-made AI, the android known as Data, developed this urge to procreate on his own and attempted to build an offspring android.
Some critics also state that the androids should be updated to bar them from ever wishing to procreate, fearing that they will be able to build more like themselves faster than can be controlled, and thus be a threat to carbon-based life forms. While this initially was met with a certain amount of critical backlash, it has recently been gaining more momentum in some sectors. Some notable scientists have come out in support of altering the base code of the XIA units to prevent procreation of any kind. This further intensifies the argument for rights of AI's to develop naturally once created.
Project Forks
The potential for using this technology for surveillance is currently under investigation by Solas Tempus, potentially adapting the holographic projection system to produce adaptive camouflage.
Project History
The Mark X Information Assistant or XIA was a project originally developed in the mid 2360's by the Daystrom Institute, though the project was dropped by 2377 due to problems integrating the artificial intelligence unit into the small frame. Later Excalibur Inc began using the existing designs and research to open the project again for testing. More units were developed with the simple non-sentient AI architecture. By 2382 there were 3 dozen units currently in operation, however, during the next year or so the XIA units began to develop further in their intelligence. While it was thought to be a malfunction at first, new neural pathways began to be developed at an alarming rate.
Since the AI architecture was designed to learn from its environment, it was thought that the system could not handle the inputs and thus started to develop new connections at random. However, this turned out to be false. The new connections formed the basis for a more advanced AI system based on the architecture. By 2383 the 3 dozen units in operation had all achieved sentience and the project was barred from constructing new units until this could be addressed.
As of this date a total of 36 units are in operation.
Form Factor
While the initial forms were not humanoid, it was discovered that a higher than expected percentage of people in the test groups did not find the device easy to work with and even found it to be disconcerting, a floating autonomous device as a spheroid or cubic design. Various other concepts were designed, some of these broke off and lead to projects such as the Automated Service Robot which is currently used by Solas Tempus. There was also experimentation done with quadrupedal designs for engineering purposes or even six or eight legged designs. These proved to be more difficult for test users to integrate into work flows and even had some purposefully not using them.
Humanoid Form
Psychological and sociological research commenced on how to produce a form factor that would put its users at ease to using it. The Daystrom Institute tried a total of 189 different form factors ranging from spheroid to simple insect designs. Test groups showed the most ability to connect and become comfortable using a humanoid form. The size of the device was still an issue, but the simple AI tests of this form were most successful in producing a psychological connection between the user and the device for optimal use.
Notable Prototypes
The first prototype for the XIA is now known as Gabriela Xia, and gained sentience over a long period of time due to autonomous call-seeking programming which was designed to add to itself in order to self-improve. This resulted in parts of the HAL AI source code being integrated into the system and over time emergent properties of consciousness were seen.
The second prototype for the XIA is now known as Camila Xia. She gained sentience faster due to a major software malfunction that caused much of the QUINN AI framework being integrated into her systems, since the QUINN AI is fully sentient, this developed into a fully sentient AI.
Subsequent prototypes focused mostly on nailing down hardware issues pending a software review. While all of the XIA units are experimental in nature, most are not prototypes but rather just further evolutions down the scale to a working model, by the 5th prototype the hardware configuration was mostly set in stone. The software is still undergoing development, however.