Talinz programming

How does a Talinz learn?

The operating system of the Talinz unit is TALONOS. This is specific to the Talinz, and incorporates a basic set of principles to facilitate useful and easy interaction with the unit. Central to this is the protection of important files within the system core, making it remarkably difficult for a casual user to accidently delete or modify the experiences or personality of their unit. The system core is made of two types of files: personality files, and experience files. Most units come pre-set with both of these, suitable to their job type. Whilst in industrial models, personality files are often neglected, as many companies prefer efficient, loyal, if somewhat bland and uncreative units within their workforce, in personal models picking the personality of your new Talinz ‘partner’ is often considered quite a difficult task. Some social media sites now offer the ability to allow the Talinz unit to analyse all of your interaction with the site for a set period, and formulate a ‘perfect match’ based on the kind of relationship you specify you desire with the unit. Others might use a similar technique, or external documents, to model themselves on people that you know, or historical and fictional figures. Basic units often have a series of personality ‘options’, selectable from a drop down list, that form a simple interacting surface which is then built upon post-activation.

From first activation, a Talinz immediately begins storing perceived data on the surrounding world in huge log files, known as ‘experience files’, partitioned by input device and collated and compared based on time stamp value. This information can then be used for either imitation or emulation, and the unit frequently finds ways to perform observed behaviour in a more efficient manner. Multiple experience files can be opened and concatenated or synthesised to perform complex tasks and learn from past experience, rather than merely viewing time as a series of isolated events. Key to the intelligence of the TALONOS are facilities that allow the unit to associate experience files with new personality files, causing adaptation to the local environment and development of a true ‘character’ over a period of time.

In addition to this, libraries of previously gathered and isolated ‘experience files’ are in existence. These files can be used to teach a basic set of skills and principles to a unit before deployment. Domicile servants, for example, are often loaded with a series of files containing information on local social etiquette and housework duties, whereas combat robots might be preloaded with reflexive memory files allowing them to perform a specific style of martial art. Some of these files are commonly purchasable, whilst others might be more expensive, and some are free. Creating these libraries can be difficult, as it involves separating the sensory log input data from the associated personality files, which if not done correctly, could partially ‘infect’ the new user with the original unit’s personality. This kind of poorly separated data is known as ‘kookware’, owing to the personality quirks it can cause a unit to develop. If a Talinz has downloaded ‘kookware’, it is considered common practise to reset the experience files, along with all associated personality files, to a system restore point before the kookware was obtained.

Three years ago, a series of heists were performed by Talinz units who had downloaded the same, particularly malicious, kookware. The units appeared to show none of the normal personality quirks associated with this kind of broken software, until a system over-ride placed another personality in control. The infected frames broadcast their location to each other, gathered in small lots, and executed a series of robberies on banks in the local area using weaponry cached at a location held within the experience files of the program. After the money was stashed at a different disclosed location, the kookware instructed the units to return to their normal lives, at which point it released control, deleted itself and rebooted all the units to the restore point two days prior to the download. The hacker was never caught, the money never found, and the frames claim they possess no knowledge of the events. If they do, it was buried hard enough that police analysts couldn't find it.