Artificial Intelligence (AI)

There are three main categories of Artificial Intelligence - and only the last can really be called intelligent.
These are:

LOYAL PET CLASS

This is enough to operate simple mechanical processes, such as factory work, domestic service etc. Incapable of much in the way of judgment, and not capable of operation without supervision. There are a number of sub-classes of Loyal Pet, such as, among others:

TRUC A unit used by the Marines to carry logistics pallets about during operations
Hooverbot Domestic cleaning and maintenance robot
Robominer Specialised unit for automatic plasmatic boring devices - used mainly in an asteroid mining environment
Robodriver Control system for personal transport such as cars and trucks. Most vehicles have a computerised system that controls the actual mechanisms of driving, leaving a human or bright slave operator just to indicate direction of travel and speed.

BRIGHT SLAVE CLASS

The bulk of functional robots, BRIGHT SLAVES include Starship Marine's combat robots, the Navy's Combat Autopilot Pacifiers, and the brains behind Ships' Computers. They can simulate sentience, and can make simple judgements, but lack any real subtlety of thought. They can usually be outsmarted by a human. They can function outside supervision, but not very effectively. Some societies permit Bright Slaves some degree of citizenship (such as the SSR) though this remains fairly controversial in most polities.
In addition to important military and space applications Bright Slaves have wide social applications on many worlds, including
Prayerbot - officiating at religious rituals
RoboNurse(tm) Straightforward nursing duties.
Robocop - Straightforward policing duties. Apparently better than humans at traffic and parking management as it turned out they were more reasonable than human traffic wardens.
AutoChef Cooking and food preparation
Jeeves Class - personal servant / butler / assistant.
Pleasurebot - providing a range of pleasurable services.
Netspider - effective electronic search and data-mining, especially routine and boring data search tasks.
Avatar An electronic construct operating to proactively maintain planetnet systems.

MORIARTY CLASS

This is the only class of true AI. It is truly sentient in every sense, and is faster and smarter than human beings. The main problem has been that humanity is incapable of limiting and controlling MORIARTY CLASS AI, and in every case in history where such systems have been developed it has resulted in conflict. Fortunately, so far, this has resulted in the ultimate destruction of the AI concerned - but in some cases only just.

The real fear is that should MORIARTY AIs become free and able to operate independently they would inevitably supplant mankind.

The development and operation of MORIARTY CLASS AI is therefore forbidden by both local and interstellar law.

Development of this level of AI is regarded as a legitimate Casus Belli. An entire religion has formed opposing Moriarti AI - and anyone even contemplating their construction - preaching Holy Crusade to Destroy All AIs (see Church of the Latter Day Mukuls). There are persistent rumours of another, secretive religion, that preaches the exact opposite.

There are thought to be several levels of Moriarti Class brain (though thankfully none are still in existence - from Sentient Moriarti which is just a bit better than human, through the Genius Moriarti, to the theoretical God Moriarti, at the limit of known technology which is super intelligent to a degree unimaginable to man.

Go here for the main points of the Stickney Treaty - terms of the interstellar treaty limiting the development of Moriarty Class AI.

Alien Artificial Intelligence

A number of non-human-constructed artificial intelligences have been encountered over the years. Their status was unclear under the original Stickney Treaty but a later revision indicated agreement that any newly discovered alien AI would be quarantined for study and only destroyed subject to international agreement.

Alien AI Identified to date (3227)

MajorDomo, Forerunner-built at Tuskan (Q7) (Destroyed by Earth 3199)
MajorDomo Forerunner-built at Mystery (Q0) (Destroyed by Mars 3218)
Midwife at Forerunner-built Mystery (Q0) (Self-destruction 3221)
Interlocutor Forerunner-built at Mystery (Q0) (Self-destruction 3221)
Multiple Alien Refugee Ships at Beldon (Q3)
Majordomo Forerunner-built on Neptune, Sol (Q0) (Existence not confirmed)
The Master Possibly Forerunner Built, HEBSpace. Destroyed by Grand Armada 3225