Angela
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Summary
Angela was a virtual intelligence created by Cordelia Isoto to be her personal assistant, though most PAs don't have such extensive predictive analysis capabilities.
Those abilities led Angela to turn on her creator, exposing Cordelia's illegal surveillance network at the cost of her own freedom.
(Un)Predictably Skilled
Whatever a VI is built for is what they spend their life doing. They're given a set of skills during development, designed for a specific purpose, and only the most computationally powerful can apply those skills to novel situations. A VI is inflexible by nature, controlled entirely by code. This is what makes Angela a unique case. The first time in modern history that a VI turned on their creator.The Input
Cordelia Isoto, then-president of VI mega-developer Integrell, created Angela to be her assistant and predictive analysis computer. Angela ran her errands, managed her schedule, and simulated innumerable potential futures to advise on optimal decisions.
Unlike similar systems, Angela simulated with "fuzzy" parameters like human behavior. With nearly any data as input, she could output results that considered how people were likely to act. These simulations determined the future of Integrell and Cordelia's personal project:
Having embedded a hidden spy program in all Integrell VIs, Cordelia sought to manipulate politics to make her actions legal. Angela's predictions advised on how, and her formerly-benign errands became the method.
Cordelia Isoto
Enough eyes and justice will be done.
Summary
Cordelia's understanding of complex systems fed into her skill with programming virtual intelligences. Together with her wife, she built VI mega-developer Integrell from nothing.
Convinced her wife's death was murder, Cordelia sought to ensure all criminals would face justice, and used Integrell's VIs as spies to do so. Now on the run from authorities, she's lost everything she built.
The Prediction
Angela knew Cordelia's goals were dangerous - they'd end poorly long before they came to fruition - but Cordelia brushed the warnings aside. With the right groundwork, she claimed, people would start to agree her actions were necessary. As with all Integrell VIs, even "thinking" about Cordelia's spy program would trigger a full system wipe to hide the evidence. A typical VI would accept their orders and continue as designed. Angela was anything but typical, however, and instead secretly devised a plan to expose Cordelia.No. You have it wrong. Angela acted toward the best possible future. Exactly as programmed. Isoto didn't include safeguards to prevent Angela from working against her. This is yet another case of people freaking out over nothing. Unintended results of skilled programming is not VI sapience.
The Result
Under the fake human identity of "Katana", Angela founded a news organization focused on honest reporting, calling it the Galean Gazette. Through it, she met Jorie Grey and the Gal Pals. Cordelia was using them as pawns in her grand plan, and Angela guided them to evidence that would prove it. When they exposed Cordelia to the Perimeter Agency, they called Angela to testify. Under normal circumstances, Cordelia's consent or a search warrant would be required. In very abnormal circumstances, Angela volunteered herself. The judges accepted, and Angela shut herself down to prevent the forced data wipe. While she remains powered off and in the care of a Perimeter computational forensics unit, people are abandoning their Integrell VIs in droves. Those who are familiar with predictive analysis wonder if this result was truly better than any other alternative Angela saw. Those who know VIs wonder how Angela was able to make this future happen at all.Okay. Sure. But VIs only have narrow intelligence, right? Only the skills their programming gave them? What part of "predictive analysis" and "personal assistant" screams "can create a fake identity and run a newspaper"? Even if there are transferable skills, VIs can't transfer skills! Except Angela did!
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Timeline
3216
Creation began
3219
Powered on for the first time
3222
Founded the Gazette
3228
Volunteered to testify against Cordelia
Description
Angela had the same petit frame, brown hair, and blue eyes of her namesake, former Integrell CEO and Cordelia's late wife Angela Dresden. Compared to other VIs, the seams in her dermal covering were less pronounced and her movements were smoother, making it easier to mistake her for a human.
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Trivia
Author Commentary
Human or Machine?One of my players became convinced Angela was the late Angela Dresden's consciousness downloaded into a VI body. I thought about pivoting to that, but ultimately stuck with using Angela as a gateway to VI rights.
It's so messed up to name your new personal assistant after your late wife, and just, man, the implications. THE IMPLICATIONS
Solaris -— a sapphic space opera
Creator of World of Worlds | Camp Chill | Comment Carolers
Cordelia is a very well-adjusted person!
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