Hi Chummers,

i tried to get an AI as a contact for one of my new characters (2/6), but the GM declined in a way that made me think i was trying to get a great dragon as a contact. I don´t see much of a difference between an AI and a corresponding hacker or technomancer connection. So what did i miss?

Historically speaking AI's were the great dragons of the matrix.

well, I'd be hesitant about a player starting the game with any contact at 6 connection. You'd better have a damn good story for who he is and why he gives a damn about some random 'runner. However, the concept of an AI as a contact in general would not bother me. They're basically hackers with some different rules. These days it seems to me they can be out done pretty easily by technomancers, and even regular hackers can keep up with them.

EDIT: okay, I can't actually remember if the correct form for contacts is Connection/Loyalty or reversed, but I was assuming the 6 was connection. If not, disregard the first two sentences of this post...

Honestly, how'd that AI get Connection 6 without being hunted down? 6 means 'corp CEO, mafia boss, etc'.

It is Connection/Loyalty, hence I think a 2/6 contact is OK at chargen.

Otherwise I agree with you, AIs are no game breakers and contacts with Connection 6 require some VERY good explanation.

Just remind your GM that all AIs aren't Deus and Megaera anymore.
Have her run through Emergence and Unwired (and Runner's Companion and Running Wild if she's really interested) to get a gist on AIs in the 2070's and how low powered these things can be.

Maybe it's a flavor issue. I know some GMs don't really like the ideas of having AIs everywhere.
Personally, I have to admit that I'm starting to see too many PC whose domotic system has evolved into an AI.

But it fits in so well with the gremlins quality.

I was thinking of a character, that was kidnapped // bought from the parents // taken out of an orphan-house // whatever, and put into a corps special programme where they tried to create a new sort of biodrone. The programme was about taking interesting specimen (e.g. high physical attributes, innate resistance to magic (fomori, gnomes) etc.) and overwriting their personality with some sort of skillwires and corresponding headware. An expert system should be used to make it possible to rig the body or to give it complex commands for remote task. As the process of mind-washing and implementing the expert system was in progress, a runner team entered the corp and tried to steal the experiments results. I this progress the character came free and the expert system (knowbot) evolved into an AI. Because the knowbot was adjusted personally to the character, they share some characteristics and feel linked with each other. So the 6 loyality could be explained, while the rating 2 professionality reflects the short time the AI lives in our world.

I said Connection 6 would require the player to really convince me, because knowing the CEO of an A-level corp is an issue. Having a friend for life is not

I GM'd a campaign where one of the players chose "hacker" as contact but he never specified. I told him the contact never spoke with him (showing plaques with what it meant to say and using body language to express feelings), his representation was of a Welsh Corgi and its name was Stein (a cookie for the first who tell the inspiration). Unfortunately, the campaign didn't last long and I never decided if it was truly an amazingly intelligent e-dog or an AI riding one.

Edward is more radical.

Here is a cookie for you anyway, Yerameyahu.

So far, I've had two AIs, both heavily interested in Media.

One was a Metalhead named "Mike", and he tended to overwrite everyone's available memory with heavy metal (Including overwriting their OS for their SmartGuns!).

The other was at a satellite that it stole, and collected EVERYTHING. Although my group never found out, their uber-priceless Paydata they got that took up a metric fragton of space was overwritten by Amazonian Soap Operas.

Other than that, I think I'll keep it in my hat which online contacts they had were Hackers, TMs, or AIs. Or something far, far different and more sinister.