Digital sentient

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Digital sentient, also known as DS, or digi-sent, refers to any artificial sentient construct which is bound to a computer system of a building or vessel that either fully controls it and/or monitors its functions. Digital Sentients are protected and affected by the law as citizens of Arizona Nova, and as such cannot be "sold" with a ship or bound to work in some area against their will.

Artificial Intelligence vs. Digital Sentient

Often Digital Sentients are confused with Artificial Intelligences; this is a bad idea. As a comparison, this would be paramount to having a digital sentient confuse a human with a chimpanzee. Artificial Intelligences are constructs that only have the most basic problem-solving and learning skills encoded, and are not self-aware. The possibility of an Artificial Intelligence becoming sentient is about the same as that of a chimp becoming sentient - very slim, but it makes for a good science fiction tale. Full Digital Sentients are also far rarer than Artificial Intelligences.

Notable Digital Sentients

The most visible Digital Sentiences within Arizona Nova are those within the military - namely, the Jormungand "brothers" that operate the Jormungand carriers within the fleet, and Artemis, Athena, and Mars, the three sentients who help control the massive Hyperion coreships.