Why No Robots?

[coliver988]

Assuming our descendants aren't CRISPRed to specific task castes, artificial intelligence could evaluate and decide what professions human applicants are best suited for.

Wait, wasn't that done in Superman / Man of Steel on Krypton? And, umm, 1984. And countless of works. It never ends well.

But - circling back to Traveller, there certainly could be worlds like that where people are much more restricted based on what Big Brother (AI, despotic overlords, take your pick) determines for you based on your genetics, potential intelligence, or choose your own arbitrary reason. For some reason I think there is even something somewhere like that in Traveller publications, but I tend to blur memories at times¹.

There are 11,000 or so worlds in the Imperium with a wide range of cultural norms. And uncountable systems outside that where there could be AI, benevolent or despotic or even just indifferent.

¹There are two signs of getting older, losing your memory, and, umm, I forget the other.

 

[kilemall]

Perhaps robots are treated as best seen but not heard?

 

[aramis]

Perhaps robots are treated as best seen but not heard?

And automation, in general.

 

[BlackBat242]

But - circling back to Traveller, there certainly could be worlds like that where people are much more restricted based on what Big Brother (AI, despotic overlords, take your pick) determines for you based on your genetics, potential intelligence, or choose your own arbitrary reason. For some reason I think there is even something somewhere like that in Traveller publications, but I tend to blur memories at times¹.

Zhodani.
A dictatorship based on mentally-programming the servant class (the non-psionics) to think and act the way the elite want them to.

 

[mike wightman]

The Zhodani are not a dictatorship, they hold elections to appoint their leaders. Nor do they mentally programme the proles, that is Imperial propaganda. Proles are given ther very best in mental health care if they suffer from mental illness in a way that only a telepathic society can do.
The Zhodani society on the whole are incredibly truthful and honest, Zhodani trading with the Imperium have to have lessons in duplicity so they understand how Imperials do things.

It is the Imperium that has complete authoritarian rule by an hereditary dictator.

 

[robject]

Zhodani.
A dictatorship based on mentally-programming the servant class (the non-psionics) to think and act the way the elite want them to.

No programming. Their mental-health sciences are simply advanced, and their population is content (Marc uses the word happy, but I find that to be a loaded term from the tree-hugging commie pinko hippy days).

 

[Condottiere]

It's not a utopia, and it's not a dystopia, unless you have something against thought policing and minority reporting.

It's probably not as bad as the Domination of the Draka.

 

[mike wightman]

There is not so much thought policing and minority reporting than there is medical health checks and referrals due to third part concern, both of which happen in the USA and Europe today.

Thought police is the Imperial description of the Guardians of Morality.

 

[BlackBat242]

Thought police is the Imperial description of the Guardians of Morality.

Doesn't mean that it isn't a correct description.

 

[BlackBat242]

Proles are given ther very best in mental health care if they suffer from mental illness in a way that only a telepathic society can do.

And wanting non-psionic citizens to have an equal place in the governance of the state with psionic citizens is considered mental illness to be cured.

 

[mike wightman]

And wanting non-psionic citizens to have an equal place in the governance of the state with psionic citizens is considered mental illness to be cured.

As compared with a system where no one at all gets a vote on the governance?

Zhodani society has democracy at all levels, but the 'federal' level is only open for nobles to vote - very similar to the way democracy began.

 

[Condottiere]

In the Roman model, the fix was in, pretty much that the it was gerrymandered to favour the aristocracy and bourgousie, and that early polling tended to momentum the vote one way or another.

But violent populism was still an option.

 

[Grav_Moped]

What is it about Zhodani culture that makes them OK with combat robots where the 3I tends not to use them?

 

[coliver988]

What is it about Zhodani culture that makes them OK with combat robots where the 3I tends not to use them?

Perhaps they are not afraid of artificial intelligences as they truly understand organic ones. Being able to peer into mind directly rather than just guessing from the reflected shadows as per Plato's cave may allow them to create robots that they do not need to fear.

My guess: Zhodani never had the AI takes over the world movies in their past

 

[Grav_Moped]

Other reasons:

Bots might not need to be as autonomous as in the 3I since their comms can be backed up with instantaneous and interference-resistant clairvoyance and telekinesis.

Zhodani might be a bit more averse to human casualties since they could end up experiencing them directly while telepathically linked. (And have, therefore understand death better than Solmani/Vilani can. As a sidenote to the sidenote, this could lead to some interesting pre-death rituals and processes.)

Also, with telepathy as a backup, the Zhodani can literally turn off their internet and radio comms and still keep their society functional. This allows isolating rogue AIs in a way the 3I simply can't.

And unless the AIs develop psionic shield tech, they can always be disabled via telekinesis as a last resort.

 

[LeperColony]

It may be a matter of internal control. Probably a lot easier to keep individual worlds in line if there are legal, cultural or economic obstacles to a proliferation of TL 15 warbots.