AIRA

ARC-X’s biggest invention and the world’s most innovative piece of tech in the century, the Automated Intelligent Robotic Assistant, or AIRA for short, is as described, a robotic assistant for multiple tasks, that functions autonomously, and with intelligence. The creation of the AIRA units was part of the new US Military Machine Ordinance program (US MOP) from 2040, where they were looking to create unmanned units to deploy in unstable regions. Many participated but ARC-X won the contract by a landslide.

AIRA First Generation

The first version of the AIRA was called “AIRA First Generation”. Development started in January 2043 and by September, the first prototypes were sent for testing, with full mass production happening in October, and units shipped out in November.

AIRA First Generation was a miniaturized tank with the ability to switch between a bipedal structure and retractable tank treads, being a double-action structure for its deployment. Most of its weight comes from its main area, which came with a hardened metal alloy of several components, and platinum-grade anti-tank coating. The design resembles a tank’s main rotating part on top of a smaller tank frame and then on ‘legs’.

This first version was unmanned and autonomous, but for finer operation, it had to be controlled by humans, remotely. With 6 cameras, it was required to have at least 2 soldiers operating it. The ‘intelligent’ part of the first version was that it could go through any terrain without any assistant, but required it when it was for decision making.

The version was very popular with the US Military, which ordered about a thousand units within the next year. It is still being produced, although in limited quantities for military forces. To ensure that only military forces can use their first generation AIRAs without any risk of being acquired by insurgents, ARC-X made it so the AIRA needs a random code to be added every week of active operation, and the country’s military received the technology allowing the random code to be made. If the code was unable to be provided or if the unit was tampered in any way, a second backup system, hidden inside the AIRA could disable and fry any primary systems, acting as a failsafe. This was removed in later units for being too cumbersome and unreliable, although the failsafe remained, but could only be activated manually.

Schematics for the First Generation weren’t released to the public and thus, no custom modifications were allowed of any kind.

AIRA First Generation Variants

As a way to broaden their versatility even further, ARC-X had developed several variants of the First Generation AIRA over the years.

The first model was capable of amphibious traversal and lacked the tank treads, known as the “Alligator”.

A second model was essentially an APC with decent armor but minimal armaments, known simply as “Trojan”.

A third model was essentially an IFV with better armor, armaments, and mobility than standard APCs, known as the “Cavalry”.

Two new models were added in 2052. One was for the purpose of vehicle-aided artillery, known as the “Archer”. The other was for vehicle-aided anti-aircraft solutions, known as the “Skypiercer”.

AIRA Second Generation

The popularity of the first version made ARC-X go back to the drawing board and come out with ideas to make a better version of their AIRA. After many years of planning, in January 2051 ARC-X finalized a design that would be known as “AIRA Second Generation”.

This new version was less military-looking and more humanoid in construction, with the same coating and materials as the previous. One major change was the removal of the retractable tank treads, meaning it was no longer necessary to keep the bulky frame and weight, causing a considerable weight reduction. Instead of including cameras for remote human operation, it was equipped with short and long range scanners that could make it walk any terrain without any sort of assistance. It could be coded to ignore human targets or assess the situation in any way possible. The size of the individual units were also shrunk compared to the previous gen, being able to accompany infantry units much more closely in CQB scenarios, along with alleviating the previous gen’s logistical problems. The end result was a robot that looked like a taller imposing faceless humanoid that could grab and use any weapon on the field.

Mass production of the second version started in March 2051, and it became an instant hit with military forces and paramilitary forces. The models were produced from 2051 to 2069, and these AIRA units played a massive role in the Batta Wars (2061-2068), saving thousands of human lives. However, within that same war, various activist groups and media outlets had raised concerns for particular methods of usage with the Second Generation models, some armies having used heavily modified units to act as ‘suicide bombers’ against opposing forces. One case even involved these alleged ‘suicide bomber’ units within a non-combatant area, fatally ending the lives of 4 civilians while leaving 23 more injured. It is unknown whether such claims could be proven.

Over its production period, it got many revisions, and it became a subject of commercial modding, as the schematics for several parts were released by ARC-X.

AIRA Second Generation Revisions

Between 2051 and 2059, there were new revisions of the model, ordered by several countries and rich people.

In 2053, “AIRA Second Generation Short Height” models were created to be servants for rich people. These models could fit in any common human household.

In 2054, “AIRA Second Generation Sight Enabled” models were created for better target acquisition. New models were also created in 2058 and 2063. These models had something similar to human eye sockets, that had cameras, removing the need of short-range scanners and enabling cameras to be used.

In 2068, “AIRA Second Generation SoftTouch Enabled” models were created in collaboration with HyoBin. These new models had human-like skin although they could not pass as humans fully. The SoftTouch skin was sold for all revisions post the Short Height revision.

AIRA Third Generation

Within the tail end of manufacture for the “AIRA Second Generation”, the subject of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) was brought back to the table after the Batta Wars and several other skirmishes. ARC-X got right on it and within a few years, it was able to create AGI from scratch by creating a small task force with five world-famous scientists and neuroscientists who were provided a blank cheque and an objective to make AGI a reality. This group was eventually unofficially called “Famed Five”.

In June 2071, a new generation of AIRAs was announced, aiming to be far more versatile and intelligent than ever before, with aims to take both the military and civilian markets by storm. Thus, the “AIRA Third Generation” was finally born, with mass production having started in January 2072 for the military and national defense markets, followed by variants hitting the civilian market in April 2072.

Using a more refined version of SoftTouch, co-developed with HyoBin, and being based after every AIRA Second Generation revision, the third version could visually pass as a human. New efforts made sure that AIRAs could extract energy from common human food, be capable of resting and experiencing ‘dreams’, along with engaging in social activities with other people with night-indistinguishable behavior compared to real humans. All of these aspects have made them perfect as household companions. Due to each individual unit’s smaller but still strong frame, they’re not as durable as the previous versions but they could still fight and take some punishment.

In July 2073, ARC-X published almost the entire schematics for the Third Generation, minus their AGI source code software, making custom mods for AIRAs even more capable. Several mods were related to intercourse in its first years, and some of them were fully integrated to new units sold. In turn, the “Famed Five” were said to have plans to publish their research into developing their revolutionary AGI software, but were required to wait until their NDA contracts had lapsed.

To the surprise of no one, third generation AIRAs were extremely popular with the public but also with the military and paramilitary forces. This caused an unique and interesting problem: Because they were humanoid, they could be used for all sorts of normal work. But because they all come with AGI, that means that they could feel emotions and even have aspirations, making them humans that don’t require too much maintenance, but could still complain if they were treated badly.

The discussion caused a lot of problems with labor and activist groups, and while they complain that third generation AIRAs aren’t humans and/or AIRAs are alive, ARC-X has informed that ‘AGI is here, and if you have remorse on making them do tasks, maybe you should check your own morality first’. As a bonus, ARC-X has informed them that all third generation AIRAs come with a failsafe similar to the first generation.