Would you trust a real life S.A.M.?

So, really, the way SAM works is the path we're actually on now. Tech is getting more invasive, there's talk of implants and, for healthcare reasons, I could see why the ability to monitor vitals would happen. I'm sure it will be well-established within the next 25 years. However, I'd vote for a "mute" because I'd hate the constant chatter. Got enough of my own.

We're not given any particular reason to not trust SAM, but on general principles there's no way in hell I'd accept anything that invasive.

*sigh*




As to the rest, it's in the game, it's in the AI briefings they posted before the game even released!  Yes, SAM has that much control over Ryder's body.  

First of all, I've got nothing against SAM, I think SAM is cool and I am also not afraid that he'd suddenly go berserk or something. I'd definitely work with SAM like Shepard and crew worked with EDI (probably even more so since SAM was created by a family member and not a shady and duplicitous terrorist organization).

However, I wouldn't trust anyone with implants like those Ryder and the PF team got for themselves. It would freak me the hell out. And I am really not a Luddite, quite the contrary, I am all for cybernetics research and brain machine interfaces in real life. But something that interfaces so directly with my body and mind and has so much control over any aspect of my physiology, I would not want to have any intelligence. A machine that I can program and control, yes, sure but definitely not a sentient being (no matter if organic or synthetic in nature).

I am too much of an individualist to share my body and mind with another entity, no matter how benign or useful it might be. So in my opinion, Ryder and the PF team are already badshit crazy for undergoing the procedure to get those implants in the first place. But hey, what do you expect from people who think they need to go into 600 year cryo sleep for a completely useless and super risky voyage to another galaxy just to be explorers, when they could literally do the exact same stuff in the MW?

ME:A is a fun game but from time to time, I just burst out laughing about all those silly people that are in it.

i can see the intelligence part that'd be spooky. But again there is zero in game evidence SAM has that much control. Quite the contrary actually. He says the human remains in charge.

Exactly.

The fact that SAM is benevolent does not mean that every SAM will be.  Or even that Every SAM will get along with their "Pathfinder".  IF AIs are truly individual, sapient beings, they will have their own personalities, free will, and personal agendas.  That SAM's was to protect the Ryder family was greatly beneficial.  But you can't count on that always being the case.

I'd trust an AI as much as I would trust an organic - that is, not much. It has nothing to do with SAM being artificial, and everything to do with SAM being a person. I wouldn't trust a human to have a kill switch in my head

That being said, Ryder's SAM has proven himself benevolent and trustworthy, and it is clear that keeping Ryder siblings safe is high on his personal agenda.

Also, anyone else feels like SAM is invested in their Pathfinder's wellbeing in the same way as the player invested in their videogame character? Having a living and active Pathfinder is exactly as much a requirement for SAM to keep having new and interesting experiences as it is for the player to keep their character alive if they want to continue experiencing the game

that ryder has tremendous will power, determination, and natural ability. If your interpretations of events are accurate Ryder would have sat in the corner going'where is Sam?'

For a stupid bad guy maybe, but the Archon is far from stupid.

Or was just desperate.

And Ryder still nearly died.  And was advised to NEVER try that again.

I'm not gonna touch that other statement 

Point is, the hardware is there.
It's an AI, so it's designed to learn and adapt. Even if it were shackled in this way, I'd not bet myself on the fact that it always stays that way.
I would treat any true AI as a person, not a program and a persons, especially with the metal and cognitive capacities of quantum computers can be very resourceful.

And sure, SAM would have no motivation to hurt me and every motivation to keep me safe, still, it's a person and persons can change their minds because of changing circumstances. Again, this has nothing to do with SAM, it's a matter of general principle and of what I am willing to share of myself with another entity.

So? I said it above, This has nothing to do with SAM and I agree, to quote myself, "SAM would have no motivation to hurt me and every motivation to keep me safe".
That's not the point at all.
I mean, everything you just mentioned is just software restrictions for SAM that could be altered, except for the fact that he is situated in the ARC but so what, if he really wanted to mess with me, he could easily make it look like he wasn't responsible. Everything else is adaptable and changeable.
But again, not the point. The point is that Ryder shares their body and their mind with another sentient entity. This is something I would never do, not with an AI, not with the closest person I know, not with anybody because my body and my mind define my own personalty, not only on the conscious but also on the subconscious level. SAM or any entity like him would have hardware access to these mechanisms, which form the core of my own being. Even if there are firewalls and shackles and security systems in place and even if the entity had my absolute complete trust, I wouldn't go for it.

Oh and by the way, it's even worse in SAM's case as it has been shown that SAM can be hacked (it even happens twice), so all those issues might not even be up to him at some point.

And frankly, there are signs in the game that SAM does influence Ryder's being in a few ways, even if not deliberately. He suggests and concludes so much for you, he basically almost does control your actions within the game. Sure, you could disagree, probably but would you? How would you even know anymore if you could? And if something did go wrong, would you even know about that? Or would it just seem like you changed your own mind about something when in fact, your implants changed some hormone levels and neurotransmitter uptake, not necessarily because the other entity wants to manipulate you but just because that's what would help you in that situation. And then what if you disagree on something?

Do I always have precedence over SAM? And if so, what does that make SAM? A slave to my will? Being a full fledged AI with his own personality, how would he feel about that? Would I even want that for him?

You see, melding two personalities in this way IMO also comes with a lot of ethical baggage (which unfortunately was not really touched in the game at all).

So nope, sorry, the stakes are way too high and the variables are way to unpredictable in the medium to long term for me to consider going through with something like this.

Because the question is "Would you trust SAM?"
And my response in the first post I made was (paraphrased) "I trust SAM as much (or more) as anyone I know very well but I wouldn't trust myself to him in the same way Ryder did for reasons that have nothing to do with SAM specifically."

IMO, that was a perfectly legitimate answer in this thread. Every further elaboration spawned from our follow=up discussion where I tried to clarify my position to you. I don't see a problem.