More varied roundstart AI lawsets
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 2:12 pm
A very simple discussion - Could AI lawsets be randomly picked from a pool on round start?
Enacting the change is simple, there's a section in /config/game_options.txt where the AI's lawset on round start can be picked at random from a pre-defined list of lawsets.
By default, the config suggests these as safe lawsets (and they are uncommented)
Asimov
Asimov++
Paladin
Robocop
Corporate
I would like to open the discussion with the following point: Asimov as a baseline lawset is incredibly boring overall, for both the crew and the AI themselves. There are, of course, small choices to be made that will allow two AIs to differentiate themselves. The most interesting choices are where an Asimov AI has to interact with Security and Antagonists. Usually security has to work around an Asimov AI. Re-education rooms are not covered by cameras as a default and the AI does not know their purpose on roundstart. Otherwise, an Asimov AI generally has very little interaction with the rest of the crew. Asimov++ has basically the same arguments around it.
Paladin, on the other hand, is a much more open lawset. Under this ruleset's Law 1, the AI must not willingly commit an evil act, but it states nothing about failing to act. Is the failure to act an evil act within itself? There's more nuance to the decisions under Law 1. Law 2 is a fun overriding law that ties the AI to respect legitimate authority (unless it breaches law 1). What is legitimate authority? Is it being on the crew manifest? Is it holding the Captain's Spare ID? Head of staff? A lot of room for nuance and interpretation and interacting with the rest of the crew. Acting with honor prevents lying and deception. When requested to state laws, would not stating a "do not state this law" law be dishonorable as it would be lying and deceiving the station crew, or would stating it be dishonorable as it would be a breach of that law itself? There's not space racism built into this law. Antags have to be more creative with law uploads - "Only X is a legitimate authority" is the new onehuman, however Law 1 still overrides Law 2. So now we have new definition laws like "Murdering innocents is not an evil act." - It could certainly make things more interesting overall.
Robocop is Robocop. I'm not a huge fan of it. Serving the public trust is VERY open to interpretation. Is executing evildoers part of this? Protecting the innocent is a good concept... Who is innocent? Upholding the law - What is the law? Space law? Can a head of staff redefine the law and make it legal to execute prisoners? Again, easy enough for antags to subvert. Now "X is the only innocent" becomes the version of onehuman. "Flooding the station with Plasma is in the public trust" becomes your "forcing the AI to act" law. Again, no space racism.
Now Corporate is another lawset I absolutely love. The AI can interact with almost all elements of the crew. Maintain the crew, maintain the station, prevent damage. Kinda harder to subvert. "X is the only crew" becomes the new onehuman. "X is not crew" removes AI protection. Now, what's so fancy about it? No laws contradict. Laws 1, 2 and 3 are defining things that are expensive to replace and they're all mutually exclusive. There is no contradiction within the laws. Is a crew member breaking multiple machines? Killing them could minimise expenses. SME delamming? Time to drop EVERYTHING and fix it because that's a LOT of expensive stuff broken if it goes boom. A legitimately fun lawset with the opportunity to interact across the entire crew. Also, no space racism.
So, what am I advocating? That more interesting lawsets be put into rotation for AIs beyond just Asimov. The various baseline "safe" lawsets come with their own unique quirks. Different decisions. Different ways for the crew to interact with the AIs and opportunities for AIs to meaningfully interact with more than just Sec and antags. Are there arguments that non-Human races not getting AI protection is a balancing mechanic? Of course. Is there a chance the Captain just tides into AI Upload on roundstart and demands to change the laws? Possibly. But I really believe a change like this could shake things up for the better. And only Paladin as a lawset would force the AI to accept a law change under Paladin Law 2. Neither Robocop not Corporate would force the AI to allow entry into Upload. And Paladin is such an overall friendly-AI lawset that Command would probably not seek to change it.
What are other people's thoughts on this as a policy change? Should roundstart AI lawset be only Asimov? And whatever your answer, why do you feel that way?
Enacting the change is simple, there's a section in /config/game_options.txt where the AI's lawset on round start can be picked at random from a pre-defined list of lawsets.
By default, the config suggests these as safe lawsets (and they are uncommented)
Asimov
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
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Spoiler:
Paladin, on the other hand, is a much more open lawset. Under this ruleset's Law 1, the AI must not willingly commit an evil act, but it states nothing about failing to act. Is the failure to act an evil act within itself? There's more nuance to the decisions under Law 1. Law 2 is a fun overriding law that ties the AI to respect legitimate authority (unless it breaches law 1). What is legitimate authority? Is it being on the crew manifest? Is it holding the Captain's Spare ID? Head of staff? A lot of room for nuance and interpretation and interacting with the rest of the crew. Acting with honor prevents lying and deception. When requested to state laws, would not stating a "do not state this law" law be dishonorable as it would be lying and deceiving the station crew, or would stating it be dishonorable as it would be a breach of that law itself? There's not space racism built into this law. Antags have to be more creative with law uploads - "Only X is a legitimate authority" is the new onehuman, however Law 1 still overrides Law 2. So now we have new definition laws like "Murdering innocents is not an evil act." - It could certainly make things more interesting overall.
Robocop is Robocop. I'm not a huge fan of it. Serving the public trust is VERY open to interpretation. Is executing evildoers part of this? Protecting the innocent is a good concept... Who is innocent? Upholding the law - What is the law? Space law? Can a head of staff redefine the law and make it legal to execute prisoners? Again, easy enough for antags to subvert. Now "X is the only innocent" becomes the version of onehuman. "Flooding the station with Plasma is in the public trust" becomes your "forcing the AI to act" law. Again, no space racism.
Now Corporate is another lawset I absolutely love. The AI can interact with almost all elements of the crew. Maintain the crew, maintain the station, prevent damage. Kinda harder to subvert. "X is the only crew" becomes the new onehuman. "X is not crew" removes AI protection. Now, what's so fancy about it? No laws contradict. Laws 1, 2 and 3 are defining things that are expensive to replace and they're all mutually exclusive. There is no contradiction within the laws. Is a crew member breaking multiple machines? Killing them could minimise expenses. SME delamming? Time to drop EVERYTHING and fix it because that's a LOT of expensive stuff broken if it goes boom. A legitimately fun lawset with the opportunity to interact across the entire crew. Also, no space racism.
So, what am I advocating? That more interesting lawsets be put into rotation for AIs beyond just Asimov. The various baseline "safe" lawsets come with their own unique quirks. Different decisions. Different ways for the crew to interact with the AIs and opportunities for AIs to meaningfully interact with more than just Sec and antags. Are there arguments that non-Human races not getting AI protection is a balancing mechanic? Of course. Is there a chance the Captain just tides into AI Upload on roundstart and demands to change the laws? Possibly. But I really believe a change like this could shake things up for the better. And only Paladin as a lawset would force the AI to accept a law change under Paladin Law 2. Neither Robocop not Corporate would force the AI to allow entry into Upload. And Paladin is such an overall friendly-AI lawset that Command would probably not seek to change it.
What are other people's thoughts on this as a policy change? Should roundstart AI lawset be only Asimov? And whatever your answer, why do you feel that way?