A.I. in the Mass Effect trilogy
Part 4/4: End At Megiddo
The best of the best
The Lost and Found
The majority of synthetics encountered throughout the Mass Effect games have been enemies, from VI-controlled combat robots to the geth and the rogue AI on Luna, Earth's moon. With the possible exception of Mass Effect 2, most of the foes you have had to face have been either robotic or in thrall to the Reapers. But there have also been exceptions. As Shepard stands not-quite ready to choose the course of future life in the galaxy and how to end the war, the fate of synthetic life may be equally as important to the player as organic life, and this plays a major role in the final choice. But none of the answers are perfect.
Do you choose Destroy, and wipe out the Reapers - along with all other synthetic life forms in the Milky Way, including those that have become your friends and allies? It may be that those 'lives' are expendable, an understandable and perhaps easy sacrifice to end the Reapers and the cycle once and for all. Depending on the strength of the fleet that came to Earth, the galaxy will suffer different degrees of destruction too, but the organic civilisations will survive and they can rebuild. But if the conflict between organics and synthetics is truly inevitable, for how long will this truly delay the end? It seems unlikely that organics would keep themselves in a halted state of technological advancement, and the Catalyst's prophecy may yet come to pass again. (Note: it is also possible that Shepard survives in this ending, whereas in all others she definitely dies/becomes an A.I.)
How about Control? In the end, though he was - perhaps because he was - indoctrinated, the Illusive Man was correct. Shepard can become the new controlling force of the Reapers, and guide them towards rebuilding the galaxy. Depending on whether Shepard has leant more towards the path of the Paragon or Renegade (and the outcome of the genophage mission on Tuchanka), the heavy handedness that will be forced on the galaxy varies. With the Reapers protecting them, the galaxy will be safe. But is this too great a sacrifice of freedoms? Can we really trust the control of the galaxy to one person/AI? The decision the player makes will decide the galaxy that organic and synthetic alike lives under. The Reapers were created to serve their guiding A.I. and would likely always follow orders gladly, but what orders will they be? And, bizarre a thought though it may be, is it right to control the Reapers at all? In context that thought probably would not weigh heavily on Shepard, but it is worth considering.
Synthesis is perhaps the strangest choice, though if you can get past the forcing of this odd and unknowable change on all life in the galaxy, it may offer the brightest future. Synthetic and organic life will be fused, leading to a whole new evolution of life, with two sides that now fully understand each other and will have no need for new conflict ever again. The technicalities of the process works are few, but it would work. A whole new galaxy could open up, and mortality itself be conquered. But is it right to force this change on everyone, without their having a say and without knowing what future it could bring? It can be argued just as well that the future could be murky as it could be bright. This is the only choice that seems to definitely say that conflict between organics and synthetics is not necessary, that the two sides can choose to make peace of their own free will - but it is by removing their differences as much as coming to an understanding, by blurring the lines between them more than accepting others' differences. On the other hand, with the Reapers choosing to help the galaxy rebuild and survive, it could lead to a form of utopia.
Finally, the player can choose not to activate the Crucible at all, and to pass the choice on to the next cycle. The next batches of races to rise will follow the advice and information of Liara's time capsule and build a Crucible of their own, though which option they choose is unknown. They will still tell legends of The Shepard, as in any future, though she and all the people failed and perished a long time ago.
The fate of the galaxy
Does this unit have a soul?
We have already looked at Legion somewhat, the orthodox geth who sought out Shepard following her destruction of Sovereign/Nazara. It was specifically designed to interact with organics, containing many more individual programs than an ordinary geth platform, and this seems to have advanced its personality development somewhat. At first, it does not understand the need for a name and does not refer to itself as an individual, but there are hints of something more beneath. Legion becomes evasive when asked why it used a piece of Shepard's old N7 armour to repair itself, suggesting that it choose to do so for what it might call illogical reasons, such as a personal fascination with or feelings of attachment towards Shepard. But it always spaks logically and calmly, even when telling or showing Shepard the history of the geth, including the quarian attempt to shut them down.
Later, it is Legion that is used to send the Reaper code to the orthodox geth as they defend themselves from the quarian assault on Rannoch, and reveals that the Reaper code has upgraded the geth to be able to think more like organics and closer to true intelligence. There is an implication here that only organic intelligence is true intelligence or sapience, however close A.I. can seem to be. But the upgrades certainly allow the geth to start fending off the quarians and, if they are allowed to be upgraded further with Legion's edited code, will be sympathetic to organic attempts at protecting themselves from the Reapers and will join the fleet.
If Shepard tries to stop Legion from uploading the code, fearing the death of the quarians, it will become hostile and try to kill Shepard before being taken out by Tali. Before it dies, it claims that Shepard will not decide the fate of its people, a reminder of the independence and continuing life that is valued by the geth. If Shepard allows the code to be uploaded, Legion must still sacrifice itself in order for the code to work, and finally refers to itself as 'I', having transformed from a collection of programs to an individual. The geth have evolved beyond what they originally were, and they are now just as alive as Shepard or Tali.
Depending on events and the course of the conversation, Legion may ask Tali if he has a soul, and she will reply in the affirmative. Of course not all organics can agree on whether they themselves have eternal souls, but in this circumstance it is made clear that Legion is just as likely to have one as Tali. If the signal is sent and peace is also made between the geth and quarians, Legion will thank Tali, and say the old prayer of her people before he passes from the worlds. That old friend has passed, and if his people survive and fight alongside you at Earth, can you still sacrifice them?
Destiny
Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori
Your other significant A.I. ally is EDI (Enhanced Defence Initiative), who joins your team as the AI of the Normandy SR2 in Mass Effect 2 and also as a squad mate in Mass Effect 3. EDI begins as a defensive program that operates the cyberwarfare suite of the ship, but seems to be equipped with more advanced that usual socialisation abilities, able to kid around to a degree with Joker (the pilot) in an attempt to study human behaviour. Their relationship is at first one of mild annoyance at having to work together, Joker not appreciating the backseat driving of an A.I. and EDI annoyed at his attempts to subvert her. They eventually make peace over time, especially after Joker removes the virtual shackles that were limiting her control over the ship.
After this point, EDI stops being 'it' and becomes 'she' to Joker, and the two begin to flirt regularly, though EDI stresses that this is a platonic friendship. From the beginning, and developing over time, EDI has seemed to be more than just a floating orb used to launch electronic attacks, but a very advanced sapient intelligence capable of social interaction and learning, though still very much a machine and somewhat removed from the world of organics. EDI still represents a massive leap forward for A.I. technology - and this is thanks to the Reapers. EDI was based partially on technology recovered from Sovereign after the battle of the Citadel, leading to a sapient intelligence that is entirely consistent with and comparable to the upgraded geth. The Reapers are no slouches when it comes to creating A.I.'s, able to make them so advanced that they are on a par with sapient organics. EDI's gaps in understanding of humans seem more like those an alien might possess and could correct than those of a lesser machine that has been created.
If we can accept that synthetic life that is far enough advanced is comparable in intelligence and sapience to an evolved organic, then do the same rules apply? Are EDI and Legion as likely to have souls as we are, their lives worth just as much, the same ethical rules applying? Again this is highly personal, and probably cannot ever be given a straight answer that everyone could accept. It does seem to be the answer that the game is leading us towards - though that is my interpretation, and your Shepard might disagree quite strongly.
Not a mere pawn
In Mass Effect 3, EDI becomes even more human, taking control over a humanoid body. Her main program remains in the Normandy, but she is able to manipulate a robotic body that is very feminine and somewhat resembles Tricia Helfer, her voice actress. Interestingly, over the course of the game Shepard can listen to crew members discuss artificial life, and offer her own opinions. Is EDI the ship, or just an AI that helps run it? It is the task she was specifically meant to do and the Normandy is where most of her program 'lives', but she has her own body now and can leave the ship to go on missions. Unlike humans with a one single definite vessel, EDI's consciousness can be more flowing and transferable. A different kind of life then, but a lesser one? And if EDI and the geth are now so advanced, are they equal in worthiness to us? Shepard can come down on either side, but it can be a tricky one, especially as it is not something we have yet had to face in real life. But over the course of the games, the gap between synthetic and organic life has closed massively.
It is also in Mass Effect 3 that Joker and EDI toy around with the idea of starting a relationship, and they will ask Shepard for advice in this. To paraphrase, she can tell Joker that the idea is absurd, that EDI is just a machine, or she can say that love is love, and to take it where you can find it in the dark days of the Reaper war. If they get together, they will find happiness, and the choice you make at the end will decide what kind of future, if any, they can have after the war. You might be reminded of the episode of Futurama in which Fry falls in love with his Lucy Liu robot, which is a very funny story but not a perfect match to this one, as EDI is much closer to humanity than Fry's Liu-bot.
EDI in a mobile platform
By the end of Mass Effect 3, Shepard may have had many conversations with EDI, a time over which she comes to understand human life and values much more strongly, to the point where she is revolted at the news reports of concentration camps run by the Reapers. At first she does not understand why some humans sacrifice themselves so others can escape, but Shepard can convince her of the need to protect life even at the cost of your own, and EDI agrees. EDI even re-writes her own programming to understand that life is not about self-preservation. She never quite seems to believe that synthetics and organics will ever quite see each other as equal and the same, and she also believes that Shepard would sacrifice her over Joker if that decision ever came. She does not blame Shepard for this, but seems to be a realist - the geth, after all, turned to the Reapers to save them, preferring their 'own kind.' Nevertheless EDI is dedicated to the team, and her loyalty is never in question. It might be said that EDI is an individual who is realistic but values all life, and sees her loyalty to Shepard and Joker and the ending of the Reaper threat to be her only priorities.
Before the final assault is launched in London, she thanks Shepard for making her feel alive. She does not fully understand fear, but has calculated their odds of success, and they are low. Her final remarks to Shepard are of defiance and fierce loyalty, however - the Reapers have destroyed many civilisations, but they have never destroyed ours.
Life on Earth
Legion and EDI have been with you since Mass Effect 2, and their efforts have kept Shepard alive and fighting. Shepard has been succeeding where the odds pointed to failure, kept fighting when every urge was to surrender. They have both been invaluable, both to the mission and our understanding of the galaxy and life itself. Of course, Shepard has also had many organic friends and allies, comrades in arms who have been to the pits of hell and back together. Were they flailing in the dark all along, trying to desperately stop a cycle that cannot or should not be stopped? Which choice is the right path for galactic life to follow?
The Mass Effect games seem to tell a story with no easy answers. Conflict between different kinds of life is natural, and often synthetic and organic life forms find it difficult to get along - not that there is always peace amongst either side, of course. The solutions to allow ourselves to be wiped out or let our technology stagnate are pessimistic and even gruesome, though maybe effective. Alternatively there may be a path to lasting peace, but it will require some willing sacrifice and change along the way. Ultimately the choice belongs to the individual player, as it should do. Over the course of three games, big questions are asked and possible answers put forward, but the future is unknown. If synthesis is chosen, EDI speaks of a new peace and grand future for all life, but that is only one possibility among many. What, then, might happen in real life?
The truth is, it is impossible to know that right now. These questions may always be divisive, but humanity has managed to get past its divisions in the past and, insurmountable though they may seem, will get past the divisions it has today. Eventually we will make contact with other forms of life, whether artificial intelligences or aliens, and we will have to come to terms with that too. Despite the big action and great wars of the Mass Effect series, there is reason to be optimistic. Life goes on, and tries to evolve and make things better for itself. There's no reason to stop now.
New worlds await
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