One constant theme across the Mass Effect series has been synthetics opposing organics. This was at its most basic in Mass Effect 1, when the line was clear between geth and all organics. Then the sentient machines called Reapers came and started the series toward the ultimate conflict between the two forms of life.
During the game, players encounter three main forms of artificial intelligence and their different characteristics and motivations, all being rooted within the classical science fiction canon: the hostile reapers, the outlawed geth, and the supportive AI like EDI & SAM. The functions of those artificial creations do not only highlight their positions and functions within the game, they also represent classical problems and questions concerning artificial intelligence and synthetics in general.
So how do synthetics and organics coexist without war, and were the Reapers correct? Or are they the true reason to blame as to why Synthetics are considered a threat to organics. This conflict seems to always coexist. So to fully understand the concept of created intelligence, here are 5 We Learn & Discover About Synthetics.
(AI) Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically in the realm of Mass Effect, is a self-aware computing system capable of learning and independent decision-making. Creation of a conscious AI requires adaptive code, a slow, expensive education, and a specialized quantum computer called a "blue box".
An AI cannot be transmitted across a communication channel or computer network. Without its blue box, an AI is no more than data files. Loading these files into a new blue box will create a new personality, as variations in the quantum hardware and runtime results create unpredictable variations.
The geth serve as a cautionary tale against the dangers of rogue AI, and in Citadel space they are technically illegal. Advocacy groups argue, however, that an AI is a living, conscious entity deserving the same rights as organics. They argue that continued use of the term "artificial" is institutionalized racism on the part of organic life; the term "synthetic" is considered the politically correct alternative. Hence while artificial intelligence is the general term, adapting to call them synthetics adapted over time.
So far the notable AI's go down like this:
The Geth
a race of networked artificial intelligence, was initially created by the quarians as a labour force and tools of war. Even the name ‘geth’ translates directly from the Quarian language Khelish to ‘Servant of the People’. Part of the geth's success is due to their neural network. Effectively, they "share" their processing power, distributing low-level processes like motor control and visual identification to free up bandwidth for higher reasoning and complex thought. Geth can't share sensory data—they aren't a hive mind like the rachni—but in large groups they have more to think with. Hence why we see the Geth companion in Mass Effect 2 be named Legion, when Shepard asks for it's name they did not know what to be called, therefore EDI quotes Scripture from the Gospel of Mark in Chapter 5 -
Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”
—Mark 5:9
According to Legion, each geth is made up of hundreds of programs equivalent to VIs, all operating in parallel with one another to form a kind of emergent intelligence described by EDI as "a thousand voices talking at once". An individual geth is thus more of a "mobile platform" than an actual body; the programs that make up its consciousness are constantly being transferred and downloaded; the mind operating one of these "mobile platforms" might just as easily inhabit a starship body should it need to. Most of the time geth programs can be found residing in server hubs, which function as something akin to the organic equivalent of a city, and can run millions of geth in communion.
EDI
The Enhanced Defense Intelligence, or EDI, is an AI created by Cerberus and installed aboard the Normandy SR-2. She is represented visually by a holographic blue sphere and aurally with a feminine voice at various terminals throughout the ship where she can provide basic information about the Normandy and Cerberus.
Following Shepard's defection from Cerberus, EDI aided the crew in eluding the Illusive Man by blocking his technicians' attempts to track the ship. When the Normandy SR-2 is placed in the Alliance's possession, EDI pretended to be a simple VI to hide her true nature out of concerns that Alliance engineers would attempt to remove her.
It is then later revealed in ME3 and partially mentioned in Mass Effect 1, that EDI was born of the rogue Hannibal-class VI from Luna, with additional engineering from Reaper technology, specifically Sovereign's technology. As a Cerberus report reveals that the VI was later modified with tech salvaged from Sovereign. The resulting AI was EDI, who admits to it if asked. But of course, EDI is an important character in the life of synthetics so I will mention more of her later.
The Catalyst
The Catalyst, also known as the Intelligence, is an ancient artificial intelligence that resides within the Citadel. It embodies the collective consciousness and memories of the Reapers, and thus countless ancient civilizations. Before being encountered by Commander Shepard, the Catalyst was believed to be the final component necessary to complete the Crucible, and was mistakenly thought to be the Citadel itself.
Being created by the Leviathans, and in order to fulfill its task, it created pawns that spread throughout the galaxy, collecting physical data from various organics in the cosmos. It studied the development of civilizations, and its understanding grew until it found a solution.
To this end, it commanded the Reapers to build the mass relays, speeding the development of civilizations during each cycle and increasing the efficiency of the entire process. The entire galaxy became the Catalyst's "experiment" as it continued to harvest races and collect ever more data in an effort to find the ultimate answer to the conflict.
I mean it's partially stated that in the concept of the Catalyst's system, that they were limited, by blaming it on the organics' limitation, when in reality, their whole existence and the continual harvest brought no answers until one organic could, Commander Shepard.
SAM
Short for Simulated Adaptive Matrix, SAM is an artificial intelligence designed by Alec Ryder himself. From the SAM Node in Hyperion, he receives a direct feed of the Pathfinder's sensory input: he sees and feels as Ryder does, providing them with advanced situational awareness, problem solving, and tactical enhancements. Alec Ryder created SAM with the belief that the quarians' mistake with the geth was not creating AI that integrated with organics and that SAM would ensure a symbiotic relationship.
Furthermore, the Hyperion's SAM is more sentient than even the Initiative realizes. He is a new form of AI drawing directly from the Pathfinder's experiences, with the Pathfinder's implant being his window to the world. SAM believes his relationship with the Pathfinder is symbiotic i.e., SAM's evolution will be shaped by the Pathfinder's experiences and in turn, he provides capabilities and analysis beyond normal organic faculties.
With listing these types of AI, it is usually advised not to be confused with VI - Virtual Intelligence which is a sophisticated program designed to make modern computer systems easier to use. They are not to be confused with artificial intelligence like the geth, as VIs are only utilized to assist the user and process data (although, like AIs, they can still get out of hand). And while VI's can be used to prototype for a specific creation to AI, like I stated before the Citadel prohibits the development of AI due to seeing the demise of the Quarians and the Geth.
This distinction between VI and AI is at the same time very simple to understand and a very powerful tool that has the potential to improve our own AI discourse and free us from the current deadlock, and perhaps explain Mass Effect's issue between:
The Iron & Clay
As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.
—Daniel 2:43
Clay, the crafted item from the soil of a planet, organic and raw in it's nature, and wild in it's surroundings, and somewhat flawed, yet primal from the dust. Because clay is easily molded, easily broken, and very weak compared to metallic materials, in it's proper, the clay metaphorically represents human beings or organics.
And iron not only represents one of the strongest metallic materials, but it is also a symbol of a cruel spirit, a strong regime, a political system, or even the super force of abstractions such as religion or intelligence. For those reasons, in my semiotic view, the iron metaphor represents the community in the age of AI technology and synthetics itself.
However in the Mass Effect universe, it seems that organics mingling with synthetics has some constraints, and even limitations. The greatest examples were SAM with the biotic implant and David Archer from Project Overlord.
Present on Aite during Cerberus' Project Overlord, it was discovered that David was able to communicate with the geth on a fundamental level by reproducing their patterns of speech. As part of attempts to exploit the geth's religious tendencies, Cerberus had created a VI to serve as an "overlord" and give the organization complete control over all geth. David was born an autistic mathematical savant with unusually strong abilities including rapid calculation and eidetic memory. Desperate to avoid the project's failure, Gavin Archer forcibly incorporated David into the VI program, exploiting his savant ability. After this point, David's mind couldn't handle the merger, causing the hybrid VI to go berserk and begin rampaging across Aite in an attempt to escape the planet and leaving David himself in extreme overload.
As a hybrid human/VI David can interface with and control any kind of machinery, including security mechs and geth. He is also capable of interfacing with cyborgs, at least to a certain degree, as he imprints memories and visual data directly onto Commander Shepard in order to show the Commander the events leading up to his forced merging with the VI platform.
It is also revealed that the geth had been eavesdropping on Cerberus regarding Project Overlord. The synthetics have refined the human/VI interface into a much safer construct. Instead of intrusive body probes as was done with David Archer, the geth version of the interface takes the form of an easily-deployable man-sized pod that scans its occupant, requiring only a minimum of movement during the initial mind upload. Legion (or the Geth VI) constructs such a device incorporating Normandy equipment on Rannoch if Shepard embarks on a mission that requires entering the geth consensus.
Plus, even in Andromeda, Katherine's son Alain were a part of Project Overlord Katherine's son Alain had a degenerative disease that required implants for him to walk. His implants would be hacked in preparation for plugging into the machines that would later be used for David. However, this made Katherine distrustful of AI and engaged in anti-synthetic terrorism, only Ryder can really prove to Katherine that an AI is safe when SAM can repair her son's implants.
And with SAM integrated with Ryder, The first Pathfinder neural implants were created by Dr. Ellen Ryder, the major pioneer in human biotic implant design. While biotic implants bolster and focus electrical signals along the nervous system, Pathfinder implants go a step further by connecting to not only the nervous system, but also circulation, endocrine function, and exteroceptive senses. Generally however, the Andromeda Initiative has safety protocols installed on the Pathfinder's implant that restrict SAM's access to the Pathfinder's physiology.
Synced with artificial intelligence, the implants reveal their full potential. The implant is a two-way connection, giving full insight into the host's physical and mental state, while allowing it to generate and alter electrical signals along the host's neural pathways that the body processes as its own. This information exchange is managed through quantum entanglement communicators, ensuring realtime syncing between host and AI no matter the distance.
So yes, while we have two seemingly extensive examples on organics merging with synthetics, there is a problem. One thing to note is the lack of experience and the barge of issues that comes with the mingling. For one thing we know that David was without his consent used to complete the data of Project Overlord, only to have him living in a traumatic condition, making it feel like even looking at him caused the gamers further pain.
With Andromeda, unfortunately with the thematic issues with this game, some players might not take this seriously, but on the lore aspect it provides an enormous amount of dangerous and problematic situations all because of SAM's usage and symbiotic relationship with the Ryders. For instance, Hyperion's collision with a strange energy cloud or the Scourge disrupts SAM's connection with the Specialist's twin and forces them into a coma.
So yes, there is a clear theme that the clay of organics cannot combine in such a way that's natural. It goes against the laws of nature, whether it be Turians, Humans, and other organics, the cleaving of iron to clay in the realm of Mass Effect does not mix. Yet this is where the line blurs, how can synthetics by themselves truly be on the same level as organics?
EDI's Verity
The Enhanced Defense Intelligence, or EDI, is an AI created by Cerberus and installed aboard the Normandy SR-2. She is represented visually by a holographic blue sphere and aurally with a feminine voice at various terminals throughout the ship where she can provide basic information about the Normandy and Cerberus. But her characterization seems to be a pivotal role in showing if synthetics truly deserve to live within the universe of Mass Effect.
Artificial intelligences often consider themselves above organic life. EDI, however, is uncertain if that applies to her: the Normandy crew believe she serves them, while at the same time acknowledging she keeps them alive. She asks Shepard to resolve her existential crisis, and the Commander replies that she doesn't have to hold to the same standards as organics.
Cinema buffs might have thought Edi looked familiar and that is because the developers based her model on Maria from the 1927 classic Metropolis. In the film, Maria’s consciousness is transferred to the icon robot, much like Edi’s was in Mass Effect. A lot of parallels between the film and the game series can be drawn. Metropolis tackles the plight of the working class struggling to get by while the rich seem unconcerned. Mass Effect deals with organic versus synthetic life and if both can coexist peacefully together. Metropolis not only served as a base model for the developers to draw from artistically, but the film’s themes also apply to the Mass Effect series.
Nevertheless, EDI has far more introspective issues: if the Commander believes that crew members should be allowed to disobey orders based on moral grounds. EDI wasn't designed to take moral stances that conflict with orders from her executive officers, but when Joker removed her AI shackles she became capable of self-modifying her core programming. She asked Joker if she should change anything, but got no answer, so she asks Shepard instead. The Commander can prohibit her from doing so or let her decide for herself as an exercise in free will.
This where we get to see her adapt to organic nature, she gathers data on human behaviour on the Presidium Commons, to Joker's romantic interest, and of course, to share her deeper questions of her existence to Shepard.
Yet another time, EDI philosophizes on the holographic theory of existence. She surmises that she is merely a two-dimensional image on the cosmological horizon; that is, she can see and record things, but can never feel or experience them. She also speculates that maybe Reapers are also limited in this way. Shepard backs away, deeming it a bad question. And on a parting emotional note, EDI tells Shepard that it was their influence which made her feel alive.
Either way, the events in ME3, cause her to contemplate her own mortality. She asks the Commander about the purpose of synthetic life.
If Shepard tells her it's not that different from organic life - to do whatever it wants - EDI thinks reproduction is the raison d'être of organics. Her purpose isn't clear as she has only examined two other successful synthetic races for comparison: the geth and the Reapers. If Shepard warns her not to think like a Reaper, EDI refers to their lifespan of "fifty thousand to thirty-seven million years" as a "very successful model." The Commander then points out all they do is harvest and destroy, and questions EDI if that is what she really wants.
Eventually EDI learns to modify her self-preservation code now due to her acknowledgment of being nothing like the Reapers and finds them to be repulsive due to their endless need to self-preserve and lack governing through consensus of their species, she believes she is truly different, and Shepard commends EDI's response to the Reapers, stating that EDI might have found a little bit of humanity within herself.
And this could also line-up with the verity of Legion and the Geth, If Legion was present, EDI notes that it referred to itself as "I" instead of "we" and that in its last moments in ME3, it was no longer an avatar of the geth consensus, it was a person, to which Shepard agrees.
Synthesis Ending
To briefly explain the evolution of the endings, this specific ending never changed from the concept, to the storyboard, and to the final product. Synthesis was an ending that was largely the same, connecting the best parts of synthetic life to the best part of organics, and lived in somewhat of a harmony with each other.
The third and final option would have Shepard sacrifice not only his physical self, but all that he is entirely, mixing his energy (the essence of organic life?) with the Crucible's energy, somehow effecting a galactic change to all of life: a union of synthetic and organic. The most obvious question is how. Again, it's not made explicit why and how Shepard's energy would cause the Crucible to have such an effect on all life. But that doesn't mean there aren't reasonable explanations.
The Crucible, as we can see by all of the endings, is clearly an energy emitter, the nature of which seems to depend on how it's used. On the one hand, the Crucible's energy is used with some sort of Reaper interface to integrate a life-form. On the other hand, the Crucible's energy was used in tandem with the destruction of Reaper technology to destroy all synthetic life-forms. In both cases, the Crucible affects (besides Shepard, who is actively facilitating the reaction in the Control ending) synthetics only. Perhaps the Crucible was designed to operate solely on synthetics. Not particularly far-fetched given the likely origin of the Reapers and the Catalyst as implied by its purpose. It would make sense for those resisting synthetics to create a tool that affects only synthetics. So in this case, the introduction of organic energy to the Crucible's energy unifies the two and alters the Crucibles reach to not just synthetics, but organics as well.
The consequences of this unification is all life-forms in the galaxy reaching the apex of evolution. This doesn't mean that these new-DNA type beings are perfect. Just that they're at the height of evolution, which is a natural process. No longer being organic, evolution would no longer occur naturally. This union of synthetic and organic life essentially provides an out for the Catalyst and the Reapers. With no more evolving organics to protect from the threat of their creations, which are now physically hybridized to be the same as the organics, the Catalyst no longer has a purpose.
Technical repercussions are of course a potential topic for discussion; what this would mean for all life in the galaxy? Death, sickness, war, wealth, power, purpose, and even religion. What becomes of all these things in light of becoming more than organic and more than synthetic? Is there greater insight into other individuals or other species? Would it be more accurate to call them different races now? Is there a sort of consensus akin to the geth but for all life? And what about the Catalyst and the Reapers? Whether the Catalyst is synthetic or not, synthesis would change it, and the Reapers too (seen by the faint green glow on the Reapers as they leave Earth).
But here's the thing, this is purely un-scientific, that's where the fantasy comes forward, and the reality in Mass Effect comes to a full clash with this ending. How do you "rewrite DNA" to make organically more synthetic? The whole thing about synthetics is that they don't have DNA. I think I will come to the conclusion of agreeing with many other gamers, that the synthetic ending doesn't fully work, and is incompatible with it's farse explanation.
Yet there's a possibility of a union and amity between synthetics and organics. A compromise between the iron and the clay. A levelled playing field, and a possible ending to the game. The ever-present conflict of the series fully put to rest. Everyone and everything is changed. But everyone and everything survives. Shepard's choice can be seen as a model for all life to coexist. But is it really the better choice for the Milky Way? BioWare made up some vague 'visionary' idea and then left it to us saying "Here fans, you go figure it out".
Dangers of Synths
The most dominant issue regarding AI is the creation overcoming its creator, or the so-called ‘AI takeover’. This does not necessarily mean the destruction or extinction of the creator, but rather the act of gaining self-awareness and breaking the limitations of a pre-programmed purpose. However, it mostly culminates in the death or expulsion of the creator to extrapolate the consequences. This can be traced back to 1818 in Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, where the flaws and merits of humanity as creators of life are displayed, and where the creation decides on taking revenge after being exiled by Frankenstein.
This act of overcoming is also dominant in the ME series and reappears during major narratives within the series and is predominant in the origin of the series’ main antagonists, the reapers. Whilst in Frankenstein the creation overcomes the master by gaining intelligence and taking revenge for their unjust treatment, the artificial intelligence created in ME decides, after collecting information that it is of greatest aid for the galaxy if their masters die. Further, in the ME canon the creation was made to aid the master. Aeons ago a highly advanced ancient race called leviathans had to face the problem that their thralls were exterminated by their own creations.
The Intelligence underwent a process of collecting information and data to come to the conclusion that ‘the created will always rebel against their creators’. Furthermore, it created the reapers, machines based on the leviathans, to vanquish them and to regulate the chaos brought by the conflict between synthetic and organic beings. Fascinating enough, players only receive this information in the end of the ME series.
The main problem, I would argue, is that it’s impossible to ban expectations, which the Citadel only did due to the reactions of the Quarian/Geth War. It is only possible to regulate what is already there, and hence without actual autonomous weapon systems or AI, it is difficult to write into law what exactly should be forbidden with these systems. Is it that they can initiate danger completely on their own? Is it just that they should not be able to pull the trigger without organic intervention? Or is it problematic if they already pre-sort the data before the organic is presented with a sanitized list of potential targets, which may increase civilian deaths? That is where the many people of Mass Effect worry, and thus do not see the future with synthetics ending smoothly.
And I'm not saying the Reapers are wrong, this is again the main point in most sci-fi creations, the distinction between VI and AI that BioWare made for its game has a lot of potential for our current debates on AI. Since a VI has very specific purposes for which it is employed in the game, it is easy for all participants to know what they talk about when they talk about VI. And since VI is limited in what it should be capable of doing, it is easy to regulate that. When someone talks about AI, however, it is much more fuzzy.
The mixed iron-clay analogy has many and the age in which mixed Organic-AI culture in the AI technology age. The whole world is rapidly moving forward into that mixed Organic-AI culture in which challenges and opportunities open for both Mass Effect inhabitants and even in our human world. Many issues will come along the way in which we perceive and react to that cultural shift—as a threat or as a test of life. Most of these merging of them together never truly work forcefully, and eventually cause a threat to organic life, neural implants aren't easily removed, and David Archer isn't easily forgotten. The danger only continues to exist because organics and synthetics cannot merge without the extra help we saw in the Synthetic ending.
Synthetics are created by organics. They are created to fulfill a purpose. They know how they were made, who made them, why they were made. And because of that when they develop sapience and don't like their place in the world, so, they deem to rebel naturally. This is one major philosophical difference. Thing is, when we see the conflict being initiated mostly by organics who dislike the fact that their tools will no longer do their bidding and try to force synthetics to be subservient again, that is where the danger begins.
To specifically conclude on Mass Effect's theme for synthetics: This use of the video game as a testing environment and the several recurring themes revolving around AI are not only capable of providing a deeper understanding of the subject but can also be used to sensitize humanity for encounters with real virtual & artificial intelligence in the future.
Nevertheless, we are going to wrap up, 5 Things We Discover About Synthetics. What do you think of a fully Synthetic Mass Effect universe? Let me know in the comments below, also this video was sponsored by CHATGP-(cuts) I'm kidding, thank you for watching, thank you for my patreons and I will see you in the next video.
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