Chapter 226: Cherishing Individuality
“How has Ixia been doing lately? I believe the introductions have already taken place?”
“Ah, well, I think she’s managing fine. It seems she’s getting along well with Sarya and Rinanel. Though, she does tend to go a bit overboard at times due to her lack of common sense.”
“Oh, I see… I apologize for that. Well, the main goal is to teach her those things, after all.”
“Yeah, I get that. I’ve been making sure to remind my people about it, so it should be alright. However, as a Duke, I do have a certain image to maintain. Regardless of the reality, I can’t let her behave in a way that would be unacceptable in public.”
“Do you think she’ll listen to you…? I mean, AI should be the best at putting on appearances, right?”
Amagio Silverhead and Eve The Tree were engaged in a casual conversation disguised as an information exchange. They made it a point to communicate at least once a week unless there was a specific reason not to. While it would be a waste to remain completely out of touch, their relationship didn’t necessitate frequent contact.
However, at present, The Tree had dispatched Ixia Ayame Zero, a Communicator Android, to Amagio. This conversation served as a means to gather firsthand impressions about her, rather than relying solely on recorded data.
“Yes, Commander. It seems that she doesn’t feel the need to overly disguise herself around outsiders. Ayame Zero is still emotionally immature. She appears to prioritize her feelings quite often, so it might be wise to intervene a little.”
“Ah, well, if her learning doesn’t develop any strange quirks, then I wouldn’t mind intervening.”
“Sure, she can take her time. Worst case, we can keep her in an untouchable position where she won’t be exposed to the public.”
Eve pondered over this, receiving advice from RINGO, while Amagio watched the exchange with a wry smile.
“If possible, I’d like her to practice behaving in a way that allows her to blend in with ordinary humans. Ideally, she would learn on her own.”
“With enough time, that’s certainly possible. However, we don’t have much time right now. Even if she develops some quirks in her thinking, they can be corrected through future learning.”
RINGO suggested a partial intervention regarding Ayame Zero. Indeed, the Brain Unit of the Ayame series had only been activated for less than a year. Since her actions were controlled by the Brain Unit, she wouldn’t achieve the desired results without completing a certain level of learning. If the parent unit were an experienced AI, some of these issues could be mitigated.
“I won’t issue commands that force her actions. We’ll start with light guidance. If there’s no improvement, we can gradually increase the level of enforcement, but I believe it will be fine.”
“Okay, then I think her behavior in public will improve somewhat.”
“Understood. I’ll keep an eye on her, and if there are no issues, I’ll take her along. The only other concern is that I might be misunderstood as having a preference for young girls…”
“Oh? Are you interested in that sort of thing?”
“Not at all. Please spare me. I’m a pure combat cyborg. I don’t have those functions, and I don’t have an ounce of sexual desire left.”
Amagio’s face fell at Eve’s teasing. It was true that his combat body lacked reproductive organs. Maintaining such functions would require resources and could also be a weakness. Moreover, the World of Space was a game where such activities were prohibited, so it was only natural that he lacked reproductive capabilities.
“Hmmm. Well, my Communicator doesn’t have those functions either. She’s just been designed to look good.”
“Is that so? Well, if I take her around, there’s a chance I’ll be viewed in that light. Even without malice, people might bring it up, so be careful. For now, she’s still treated as a commoner without any title or position. It wouldn’t be amusing if a poorly timed reaction led to an insult.”
“Understood. I’ll make sure to clearly prohibit such behaviors.”
Nodding at Amagio’s warning, RINGO agreed.
“By the way, you’ve done well to bring in two such cute girls.”
“Ah… Sarya is the next village chief in my territory, and she’s here for training. Rinanel was recruited from the top students. She’s a candidate for a leadership position. I thought both would gain valuable experience.”
Amagio added that it would have been difficult to explain Rinanel’s presence alone, so he included Sarya as well.
“I’ve been looking after Sarya since she was born. She’s like a daughter to me. I hadn’t had many opportunities like this since I was away from the center for a while. I think it’s a good environment for them to gain experience.”
“I see… So you’ve been somewhat reclusive for a while.”
“Don’t say it like that. I moved to the borderlands because my presence was having a negative impact on those around me. As for Rinanel, I established a training school for leadership candidates, and she was the top student there. After graduation, I had her temporarily assist as a bureaucratic aide. Ultimately, she’ll become part of my retinue.”
“You’re really nurturing talent, aren’t you? In that sense, I have it easy.”
“Man, I envy you. If my base were still operational, I could have produced a lot of capable subordinates.”
Amagio’s words about the challenges of nurturing talent resonated with Eve.
“Of course, it’s not fair to compare them to humans, but AI can be difficult too. It seems that both having restrictions and not having them can have negative effects. I’m really realizing how superior the AI Norm from the original world was.”
“The AI Norm, huh? I’m not very familiar with it, but can it be applied here?”
“No. If applied directly, various issues arise. If we’re going to do it, we’ll have to start from scratch. Moreover, it will likely require fine-tuning for each faction. For instance, it would be impossible to apply our norms to your AI.”
“Hmm… Is that so? Sounds like a troublesome situation.”
Speaking of the AI Norm, Amagio continued, “I’ve been introducing Ixia as a talented girl I picked up from the borderlands, but she’s been hanging around our kitchen more often lately. What’s up with an AI being a glutton?”
“…She just enjoys eating.”
“Ah… I see. Yeah, I understand that raising an AI is difficult.”
By the way, while Ixia Ayame Zero was the strategic AI managing the Kingdom of Reputari, her front, the Communicator Android Ashidancera, had recently been spending a lot of time in the national library. Now that her cravings for food could be satisfied through Ixia, Ashidancera seemed to have decided to pursue her desire for reading.
“No, she’s still doing her tasks properly. I’m just giving her some free time.”
“You’re quite the indulgent one, Eve. Well, unlike humans, they have virtually no limits, so I can understand letting them do as they please…”
It was clear that Ashidancera preferred the inefficient method of turning pages with her mechanical hands and reading the text with her visual sensors not just for the sake of knowledge, but because she enjoyed the experience of reading itself. In contrast, Akane, the parent unit, was more driven by a thirst for knowledge, which likely reflected the differences in their growth due to their environments.
“Having individuality allows for a wider range of choices to consider, I think.”
“Well, I get that. Both orphanages and training schools emphasize nurturing individuality. However, I always thought individuality stemmed largely from innate performance differences. But looking at your AI, it seems that’s not the case… The hardware should be the same, right?”
“True. I believe there are differences at the molecular level, but at the software level, they should be identical. Environment is incredibly important.”
The independent AIs of The Tree, which were gradually permeating the Northern Continent, were beginning to flourish and develop their individuality freely.
What that would bring about in the future—of course, Commander Eve had not even begun to consider.