I am currently GMing a game and one of my players is intrested in haveing an AI as a close friend. I have an slightly diffrent idea as to the true nature of the AI: Kira (the name of the AI in quistion) is not a true AI, she is infact the projection of the unconscious mind of a technomancer in a comma who is being expermented apon. The AI is infact a reflection of the Technomancer generating her, and is unaware of her true nature. I am a bit of a noob when it comes to the creation of AI's and am looking for any pointers, Ideas, or other inpute on how to pull this idea off. Also, I have read Unwired, and have access to Runners Companion, and Emergance.

Sounds like your looking at a free sprite not an AI or possibly an E-Ghost. Are you looking for mechanical help creating the character or ideas on how to handle the interactions?

Partialy both, I'm still not sure how to classify it, I'm thinking more along the lines of an resonance E-ghost with a twist, if their is sutch a thing. Interaction wise I know what I'm going for, I'm more trying to think how it would work exactly.

What I would do:

Generate stats for a technomancer (the one in the coma) and use those for game mechanics in the matrix. Since you have all the relevant books, this shouldn't be a problem.

Of course I maybe wrong, and often am.

Beat to it. This is what I would do as well. As long as the player isn't a TM, (s)he'll never know the difference (otherwise [s]he'd be able to find a resonance trace).

Or leave the resonance trace out. More things in heaven and hell than are dreamed of in your philosophy and all that...

Might make an interesting hook into an interesting story if it ever gets out that it's not really an AI. Something like the technomancer created a "personality well" inside the Matrix in the moments before s/he was incapacitated and poured as much of his/her personality into it to remain conscious. Maybe the most basic parts, like self-identity, didn't get siphoned into the well in time and so the personality doesn't know what it is or where it came from.

The potential to actually upload your consciousness into the matrix would be a huge, earth-shaking, UGE-level development, with megacorps, matrix cults, and god only knows who else all in it to figure out the secret.

This could make for some interesting fun if the player realizes it before anyone else. Do they tell the ghost the truth? Do they rescue them and sit on it to keep the corps out? Do they try to sell their friend out for some quick cred? If so, how does the corp screw them (because they JUST have to)? ETC.

I agree with the above posters, E-Ghost and specced out Technomancer is the way to go. I've not read the AI/E-Ghost stuff in a while, so I can't give speicifics though. One thing I'd reccommend, is have the AI keep fairly static abilities for the most part. If the AI is too versatile ("Hmm, give me a second, I think I might be able to do something about that.") or able to call in the occasional "Matrix Friend" ("I think there was someone/something around here that can help...") then it will tip its hand as being a TM (even if the TM itself doesn't realize that is what its doing). Of course, done right and in sublte ways this could be part of how the player might piece together what is actually going on.

Also, due to the rarity of the situation, be prepared to answer the "How did this possibly happen" questions that will come up. Enquiring minds (players and corps) will want to know!