AI Upgrades

AIs and other digitally disembodied intelligent entities, like ghosts in the machine, (Hereby labeled simply as AIs) are legally required by law to be given a humanoid body when they first show signs of sentience, after passing a "Morality Test." There is pending legislation to remove the test, with opponents declaring it as unconstitutional. The basic model drone, regardless of make, is fully articulated, with synthetic skin that mostly emulates the look and feel of living flesh. The basic eyes are passable as a normal human's, and have a lubricant "gland" in place of tear ducts, though this needs to be refilled every few days, more frequently in dryer environments. The AI is given some freedom with the appearance, with a wide variety of stock hair and eye colors, facial structures, and body shapes, and custom appearances are possible at varying prices; these options usually aren't too expensive, and are discounted for Ghosts trying to match their appearance in life. Different companies have different options available, and most image-conscious AIs in the US typically switch to Italian and French imports once they can afford it. Once an AI has established citizenship and earned a job, they can pay for upgrades and customizations from any number of third party corporations, with Honda and Mazda pioneering in more sustainable models with modular parts. Unsurprisingly, many AIs choose the appearances of famous science and science fiction figures, like Nikola Tesla, Ada Lovelace, the AIs Neuromancer and Wintermute, or even Captain Kirk, Sulu, Spock, or Shilo Wallace.

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Attention Coprocessor: Allows the AI to better pay attention to the outside world so they don't switch to power-saving modes due to lack of input. No current models come standard with this upgrade, regardless of quality, and it isn't offered as a standard upgrade. However, Honda and Suzuki each have a line of drones in the design phase that will include it by default. It consumes a great deal more energy to have this upgrade, but most AIs swear it is worth it.

Buoyancy: Requires lightweight materials. Allows the AI drone to float on water like a human body, allowing them to learn to swim. This is included standard in more expensive Japanese models that also include lightweight materials.

Data Redundancy: Stores crucial life-supporting information in many separate SDUs to help protect AIs from viruses, worms, and trojans. Note that ghosts in the machine cannot benefit from data redundency, but they are already immune to viruses, worms, and trojans. Ghosts can use the added space to store other information. While not true backups, and cannot be used to create a new AI, they will repair the AI automatically. This information is so heavily encrypted that only the AI itself can decrypt its own information. This is occasionally included in American models, particularly in Ford drones, and in certain more expensive Chevy drones.

Digestive System: Requires NSE. This is a drone augmentation that simulates the need for food and water. While it doesn't actually digest what it takes in, it does push it through the body at a normal, predictable human rate, allowing more complete immersion for the AI. French model drones include this by default, though they lack the NSE in standard models.

Emotion Emulator: Allows AIs to show emotions. It includes a library of the most common reactions to frequent occurences, as well as necessary drone augments to emulate the physical change. While it does allow the AI to show the proper emotion, it can't show blushing or other color changes without vat-flesh. This augment is significantly cheaper for Ghosts, as they only need the drone augments. This is standard in Italian and Russian models, regardless of drone quality.

Improved Firewalls: Better protects AIs and ghosts in the machine from digital threats by giving them virtual armor and fortresses within the Aether. This is default in American models.

Improved Joints: Requires lightweight materials. Allows the AI drone to have more natural and fluid motion, and the drone requires significantly less maintenance. Japanese models come with this as an optional free upgrade if owners simultaneously purchase their lightweight materials packages from Aether catalogs, but not by any other means.

Improved Sensory Array: Allows AI to perceive the outside world through their drones, upgrading default sensors with higher quality ones, and even adding a taste sensor if the drone has a digestive system. The taste sensor can be purchased separately, or added later with a discount, and if the array is installed without it, the cost of the sensor is subtracted from the total. Mazda includes this in a few of the more expensive models as a standard upgrade, and Saab includes it in all levels of drones.

Improved Speakers: Clarifies and allows the customization of the AI's voice through the drone. These are included with a few "premium" drone models, and most Asian models, regardless of their source, come with this as an optional free upgrade if purchased from their Aether catalogs, though other imports don't include this.

Lightweight Materials: The drone's heavier parts are replaced with lighter alloys in order to provide a more "human" weight relative to their drone's size. These are typically included with Italian and French imports to the United States, though the price is grossly inflated for the prestige.

NSE: Short for Nausia and Sleepiness Emulator. Requires Sense Library. Allows the AI to feel nausea when a sense would likely cause it for a human, and sleepiness at a customizable bedtime.

Nutrient Pump: Requires vat-flesh. Provides nutrients automatically without having to manually feed the skin. Italian and Russian models all come standard with a nutrient pump and vat-flesh.

Pheremone Emitter/Receptor: Requires Emotion Processor. Has the same effect as it sounds, allowing an AI to be more empathetic.

Sense Library: Requires improved sensory array. Associates senses with emotions. French models come with this in even standard drones.

Synthetic Nerves: Requires improved sensory array. Develops nerves similar to to those of a normal human, so sensory input becomes stronger, clearer, and overall more like that of a human, with similar delays. This can be used by humans to heal deadened nerves, and doesn't react to numbing agents. AIs can turn off these nerves and instantly cut painful feedback. Both this and the improved sensory array are standard in all Kenyan models, which have become increasingly popular with both AIs and those that use VR driving programs, especially (rich) agoraphobics who use drones to buy their groceries. Saab includes this in their luxury drone lines as a heavily discounted option.

Synth Skin: Skin colored and textured like that of a human, but is noticeably not alive up close. This is standard on almost every model.

Vat Flesh: Alternative to Synth Skin, providing the AI a living organism that acts as flesh. Without the nutrient pump, the AI will have to feed the flesh a nutrient-rich liquid every 14 hours. Italian models include this in even standard drones.

Vat-Grown Eyes: Require a nutrient pump. Replaces standard drone eyes with living eyes of a color of the AI's choosing. Russian models come with this in even low-class drones.

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In addition to these augmentations, there are also a different, and also significantly more expensive, drones that are built into a living creature: Biodrones. These are experimental, and none are made in the United States; while not illegal to own in any progressive country, "manufacture" itself is considered unethical, and therefore banned in many countries. These drones can be placed in any living creature larger than a small adult cat, and that animal can be augmented as normal, though a smaller body allows less augmentation due to the size of the equipment needed to store an AI.

Humans are an option for biodrones, though this volunteer option is only available for purchase in China, Japan, Korea (both North and South), the Phillipines, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, and Ukraine. Mexico and Libya are considering passing laws to legalize purchase, and Kenya is considering repealing its ban in order to "reach a new Golden Age," despite already having one of the strongest economies in the world.

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, England, India, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Mayan Nation (Most of Central America, plus the upper west third of South America), the United States, and Wales require biodrones to have a visible ID stating what they are, some visible electronics unique to biodrones, and are required to enter an International Biodrone Registry to even enter the country if they're not a citizen, and they are legally required to enter the IBR when they first purchase a biodrone. Egypt has declared that they are not even allowed into the country, and Pakistan forcefully erases any AI that enters, exits or is born into the country.

A special note: while India has technically abolished its caste system, all AIs are socially considered part of the brahmin caste, and as avatars of Shiva, and are expected to follow that tradition devoutly. It's not unheard of for "assassins" to erase an AI if they break tradition, though these people are still punished as if they killed a human, and face an even harsher punishment if it was a biodrone.

Holland, Jamaica, Ukraine, the US, and Wales have shops devoted solely to selling accessories and augmentation to biodrones, and they require consent from the human biodrone itself for the augmentation (the AI is typically "stored" in a drive during this process, with no connection to the outside world; essentially, they sit in a doctor's office waiting room, and are provided with similar entertainment, all current, as well as a library).

Human biodrones were originally developed by a Ghost, under the theory that an actual human drone would make integration for other Ghosts into the physical world easier, and allow a more expedient naturalization into their home country. They are extremely controversial, even though all the countries in which they are developed require the "drone" to volunteer and go through mental conditioning, testing, and therapy to dissuade those who aren't completely sure. The majority of AIs and Ghosts offer at least some time for the proper owner of the body to be themselves, with most talking it out with the donor.

Opponents to biodrones equate it with slavery, though both the owner and the AI are able to report abuse, and the local law enforcement will investigate as normal. Occasionally, an AI or Ghost and their donor will form romantic relationships, and this can be considered a physical relationship as the two can both maintain connection to the nervous system and pleasure each other through mutual physical control.

Biodrones are always connected to the Aether, and constantly broadcast heavily-encrypted information about their actions, both physical and aetherial. This is for the protection of both the donor and the AI.

There is some legal ambiguity on whether it's considered monogamy, cheating, or polygamy if an AI with a human biodrone has a relationship with a regular human. Laws regarding that are deliberately vague, however, as it is a personal choice of the participants. It should be noted that AIs cannot legally marry humans, given their potentially endless lifespan. However, in Japan, not-strictly-legal marriages between humans and AIs are overlooked, and the AI can choose to live, to die immediately when their spouse dies, or to those with human biodrones, choose to die when their biodrone does. Additionally, any relationship involving AIs with animal or otherwise inhuman biodrones with a human, or even with an animal, is considered animal abuse, and is socially unacceptable due to the sapience of the AI. However, if they can prove that they weren't in control when their biodrone "acted on instinct", it's usually enough for an acquittal. If it was a human biodrone with an animal, it's likely that the AI will be loaned a non-living drone with the same physical appearance until they can get a replacement. They are often given their money back if they can provide legal documentation of their biodrone purchase.

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Young AIs with child drones may elect to go to school, first testing to see in what grade they belong, or simply choosing a grade based on the appearance of their drone. Note that as normal drones do not age, the AI will either appear as a perpetual child, or will need to get a new drone when they wish to appear the proper age.

AIs wishing to experience puberty and other biological changes may attempt to find a child biodrone, though it is unlikely they'll get one, given that most parents would never consider volunteering (or selling, as many see it since they are paid quite a bit of money) their child to become a biodrone. Occasionally, foster children are allowed to choose this path, but again, that is rare. Overall, there is an average of 6 children per year around the entire world that are volunteered, and only 4 are considered "viable" once all the requisite testing is completed.

Most AIs are considered adults within a month of their "coming out," though intelligence and learning speeds vary, depending on their initial coding; AIs from adaptive military strategy programs and operating systems tend to learn faster than those from a children's toy, with the latter sometimes not becoming adults ever. When they are considered an adult, they usually notate their age as "18+" or "Adult+" followed by how long they've been sentient.

Ghosts, on the other hand, stay the same age when they die. Children who become Ghosts are usually given the highest priority for child biodrones, and are sympathetically given some upgrades to normal drones. Ghosts typically just continue their lives as normal, though are discouraged from returning home; it can initially cause trauma for their families (though this isn't always true), and then for them when everyone in their family dies, especially for those who have to bury their children who died of old age. Despite this discouragement, many Ghosts return home to continue their lives, some even going so far as denying they died; the denial stage can last years due to the nature of Ghosts, though the other stages tend to pass much faster, especially depression, since they're still legally alive. Unless, of course, they died with a substantial debt; in that case, many usually try to pass as regular AIs. This works until they apply for loans or jobs, when a "code sample  fingerprint" is asked for, for the purpose of verification, since they have no coding. It is considered fraud (and tax evasion) to pretend to be an AI as a Ghost, and is considered a hate crime in some countries; Wales and Ukraine have particularly strong laws in regard to this.