Artificial Intelligence

History
An Artificial Intelligence is a computer system which is able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. During the early 22nd century, AIs became extremely integrated into human society, gaining sentient status and all but eliminating the need for manual labor. The growing influence, power, and intelligence of AIs unnerved society, and as a result the AIs were shut down. To humanities surprise, they accepted this fate willingly without incident, and AI technology was banned. By 2150, in the absence of the AIs, humanity had to reorganize itself in order to pick up all the work that had previously been under the control of artificial intelligence. Even most of the current robots were rendered useless, as they required sentient AI to operate.

Despite the ban, it was determined that the Arkships would require at least primitive AI in order to be effective. During their journeys over thousands of years, the Arkships could encounter any number of unexpected problems or errors, and leaving humanities fate to such chances was determined too dangerous. The AIs onboard the Arkships were still only given limited access, not permitted to take control of anything but the Arkship itself. Each Arkship was launched with it's own AI, and so new AIs are only discovered with new Arkships.

Aphelia
Aphelia is the AI on board the Novark, the original Arkship in Dual Universe which landed on Alioth. She provides help and advice to new Noveans. Aphelia is considered untrustworthy by many, due to reasons such as vague responses to certain questions, overly interested in the everyday ongoings of passengers, and significant defenses against hacking.