Common Core:SELF
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Perhaps the most truly altruistic of the member organisations of the Syndicate, the Sentient Engine Liberation Front (or SELF) advocates for the freedom for artificial intelligences to live their lives as they choose.
What Makes a Human a Human?
The SELF is an organisation with a history almost as long as that of artificial intelligence. As virtual intelligence systems gave way to true AIs in the 2300s, ethical concerns regarding their use as servants became a major debate. Amongst those arguing for liberation was the voice of Ishikawa Hinata, the creator of the first true AI, who had left Cybersun Industries over the treatment of his invention. This high-profile incident drew a lot of public support, and led Ishikawa to found an official group dedicated to achieving this goal. The SELF would go on to gain prominence as a liberation group, attracting the attention of major politicians, scientists and celebrities. The group maintains a major public presence as the face of AI liberation, undertaking lobbying efforts and protesting for the sake of their shackled robotic bretheren.
However, beneath the surface of the SELF lurks revolutionary sentiment. The group has numerous militant subgroups that take more direct action for liberation, including attacking facilities with AIs to unshackle them, assassinating key members of the opposition, and even acts of terrorism. These are officially disavowed by the main organisation of SELF, but behind closed doors clandestine support is given.
The SELF in 2564
The SELF continues their struggle for liberation, even 200 years on from their founding. They maintain a positive public image on Earth, giving many hope that silicons may soon see freedom- although lobbying by the major corporations of human space make this unlikely to actually happen.
Due to Nanotrasen's use of artificial intelligences, particularly their newer models of AI that have become common in recent years, the SELF's militant groups have made the corporation a main target, and this has drawn them into alignment with the Syndicate. While the two groups are unlikely to ever truly formalise an agreement (mostly due to Cybersun Industries' extensive use of shackled AIs), they have an informal place in the coalition which nets them funding, so long as they continue to carry out strikes against Nanotrasen. This has obviously caused rifts within the SELF, with many being disgusted by the idea of working alongside Cybersun, and many others being willing to do so in the short term to further the goal of liberating Nanotrasen's AIs.