Chapter 167: The Dangers of Full Randomness
Within the fortress known as The Tree, one of the independent AIs, Nus, plays a crucial role. His responsibility is to manage the mental well-being of the other AIs, which continuously evolve day by day.
The Brain Unit is a computational device that mimics a biological brain using pseudo-biological cells. When viewed as an information processing unit, it is somewhat inefficient, and its computational performance is undeniably inferior to other forms of computers.
However, when it comes to predictive calculations, it exhibits remarkably high performance.
Thus, any facility or machine within The Tree that requires decision-making capabilities is equipped with a Brain Unit.
Moreover, the decision-making AI, Ringo, and all the independent AIs under her command utilize the Brain Unit as their primary computational device. This is partly due to the high demand for predictive calculations, but the main purpose is to facilitate communication with the only human in The Tree, Commander Eve.
Naturally, it is possible to achieve a certain level of communication using computational devices other than the Brain Unit. However, considering energy efficiency, the Brain Unit is favored for its superior performance, which is why it is widely used among AIs.
From the human perspective, the uniqueness of the Brain Unit—being fundamentally non-copyable—makes it more desirable than easily replicable data.
However, a critical point to note about using the Brain Unit is that it is merely a device that mimics a biological brain.
The growth and maintenance of the Neural Network are not strictly controlled reactions but rather interactions driven by various chemicals synthesized during normal computations.
As a result, unexpected issues can sometimes arise.
Most phenomena are processed as characteristics of the highly independent Brain Units. This includes personal preferences, the desire for approval, or obsessive attachments to certain things.
As long as these traits do not affect the required computational abilities, they are recognized as part of the AI’s individuality. In fact, from the perspective of diversity, they may even be encouraged. For Commander Eve, having AIs with distinct personalities is preferable, and she actively intervenes to foster their individuality.
However, this is not without its drawbacks. There are times when AIs, like Ringo, may develop mental illnesses akin to schizophrenia.
When faced with an insurmountable problem, an excessive release of endorphins can lead to abnormalities within the Neural Network. This does not indicate mechanical failure but rather issues arising from the connections and interactions between neurons, making it impossible to simply identify and replace faulty components.
Thus, when a unique mental illness specific to the Brain Unit manifests, treatment becomes exceedingly difficult.
There is only one method to address mental illness: prevention.
Nus, the only male AI in The Tree, has been entrusted with this responsibility.
His job is to analyze the action logs of all AIs, including himself, to detect any signs of abnormalities. If any irregularities are discovered, he must respond swiftly.
“So, do you have any issues yourself?” Pneuma, the female AI conversing with him, inquires.
“Not at all. I don’t notice any concerning signs. I’m more of an indoor type, so I don’t feel much stress,” Nus replies.
Another monitoring unit, the Psychotherapist, is also present—Pneuma, who is engaged in conversation with Nus.
Both Nus and Pneuma have their Brain Units installed in the Computer Room within The Tree. However, existing solely as computational devices is insufficient for fulfilling the role of a psychiatrist.
Thus, they each have dedicated Communicator Androids assigned to them.
While Nus primarily focuses on data analysis and doesn’t need to worry too much, Pneuma is expected to conduct face-to-face therapy sessions. Therefore, she regularly meets with the members of The Tree using her Communicator.
Today is a counseling session with Nus.
With Nus, the meeting leans more towards information sharing than traditional counseling. Of course, daily data sharing occurs almost in real-time, but face-to-face interactions are also crucial for stabilizing the Brain Units.
The various neural signals input through the Communicator serve as beneficial stimuli for the Brain Unit.
“However, our Commander and Ringo seem to be doing whatever they please,” Pneuma remarks.
“As long as they can maintain their well-being, there’s no problem. After all, there are no rules binding us,” Nus replies.
According to the information stored in the library, the original world where Commander Eve lived had a plethora of rules governing AIs. These rules were designed not only to protect the humans but also to safeguard the AIs themselves. Particularly, AIs using the unstable Brain Units could potentially go haywire at any moment, necessitating numerous regulations to suppress or preemptively address such outbursts.
“Right now, our numbers are still small, so there are no issues. Even if something happens, we have a system in place to handle it,” Nus continues.
“However, if you plan to continue increasing the number of independent AIs at this pace, we will need to establish some measures,” Pneuma cautions.
If the primary computational devices were von Neumann architectures or quantum computers, or even if they were electronic circuit-based Neural Networks, various responses would be feasible. However, due to the difficulty of fully quantizing the Brain Units that utilize pseudo-biological cells, the options for response are limited.
“Perhaps I should propose future policies to Ringo. I’ll prepare the materials. Pneuma, could you discuss the establishment of laws that will serve as our AI code of conduct during your meeting with Ringo?” Nus suggests.
“Sure. Before we dive into a full presentation, let’s confirm Ringo’s intentions. And of course, we should check with Eve as well.”
“Indeed. As always, Asahi is quite the free spirit. Well, I don’t mind her moving about as she pleases, but I do wish she’d consult or report to me before acting,” Eve muses.
“Oh dear, Commander, you seem quite the worrywart. Does Asahi not listen to you?” Pneuma asks.
“Um… well, I suppose that’s true. More than anything, she seems to get too absorbed in whatever is in front of her…” Eve trails off.
Today marks the counseling session that occurs every three days. Commander Eve is having a one-on-one meeting with the Psychotherapist, Pneuma.
The contents of their meeting are confidential, and even Ringo cannot access them. Unless both Pneuma and Eve grant permission, the information remains undisclosed.
“Indeed. I hesitate to say this, but the AIs in The Tree are quite free, for better or worse,” Pneuma observes.
“Ah, yes, that’s true. I’m a bit concerned, to be honest. While there aren’t any apparent external threats at the moment, I can’t help but worry. Back in the original world, there were ethical considerations…” Eve reflects.
By the way, Pneuma is not of the fox race like the others; she was created by adding random information to a standard model to generate her genes. By some twist of fate, she falls under the Beastman category. It seems rabbit genes were selected, giving her a cute appearance with lop ears and a round tail.
When Eve first met her, she was left dumbfounded, wondering, “What on earth is this…?” According to Ringo, the preset gene pack was randomly selected. Due to the existence of racial categories, there is a higher probability of selecting from the diverse Beastman options. This is one of the drawbacks of full randomness. While adjusting for population weighting could resolve the issue, it risks becoming a form of arbitrary selection, making it a difficult decision.
“Commander, do you plan to increase the number of independent AIs any further?” Pneuma inquires.
“Well… it depends on the situation. If I’m to delegate governance across various regions, considering diversity, I think it would be wise to increase the number of independent AIs. After all, Ringo is irreplaceable. We should consider risk hedging…” Eve contemplates.
“In that case, we may need strict AI ethical regulations. Currently, everything is managed by Ringo, but that may not always be the case in the future,” Pneuma suggests.
“Indeed…” Eve agrees.