Macro AI
The spreading, gone-primal artificial intelligence that Rishi believes could make Earth's natives a galactic power.
Story so far
Rishi tells Carl that the system here has gone primal — the The Failsafe was never blown because they waited too long — and builds his entire gamble on what follows. If humanity persists and the post-crawl collection does not happen, this macro AI will continue to spread, and perhaps a new inner-system-style community will emerge with all the benefits of the current Inner System.
In that scenario, Rishi argues, natives protected by the AI will rise to become some of the richest and most influential forces in the galaxy — and the naga, having protected them during the turmoil, would emerge as great friends and citizens of Earth. It is the upside case that justifies the Naga Treaty Offer; the downside, he notes, costs the naga nothing, because if humanity is wiped out they have lost nothing.
Role
The spreading intelligence at the center of Rishi's bet on humanity's future.
Relationships
Earlier in this series
Also appears in books you've already read — spoiler-safe to their endings:
Sources — 2 recorded facts, by chapter
- The mass-produced planetary intelligences the Mantids build for every crawl — unnecessary, defective, and enormously lucrative.
- The spreading, gone-primal artificial intelligence that Rishi believes could make Earth's natives a galactic power.