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Post by nocte on May 24, 2017 5:33:09 GMT
 One of the most interesting conversations for me in Fallout 4 was with Deacon concerning where the line should be drawn on AI and synthetic life within the Railroad. He expressed that some in the Railroad drew the line at the newest model Synths, which are incredible close to human in both appearance and processing, while others stretched their inclusive thinking to the older model synths, or even Mr. Handys, Assaultrons and other more "primitive" robots. We were given quite a bit of interesting experience in the game with a number of types of AI that I think does imply these types of robots are capable of complex reasoning and emotion similar to humanity. Nick and DiMA were very complex experimental, early Synths. Codsworth considers you family and I think that's more than just programming, but also I feel there comes a time when AI "programming" and human brain structure are a fuzzy difference. Ada loved and misses her friends. Curie wants to expand her ability to think creatively so she can someday be a great scientist. These "simple" robots have hopes, dreams and even deep regrets of their own, so I think it does follow that they should be treated as more than just objects or possessions. This topic is probably the most interesting lore point to me from the games and has been since assisting the Synth in escaping the Institute back in Fallout 3. I'd love to hear some more opinions. As usual, I'll also include some discussion points to make things easier.  - Do you think AI and synthetic life in the Fallout world deserves equal treatment and consideration to humanity?
- How do you feel about the Railroad as an organization, generally?
- Do you draw the line somewhere on which AI deserve equal rights? The most advanced synths to Protectrons, Eyebots and other simple bots.
- What is your opinion of the AI characters and Synths we've seen in the Fallout games so far? Do you want more in the future?
- Would you be interested in more AI love interests in the future? Maybe something less "human" than Danse/synth Curie? (Nick, Mr. House, Ada, etc.)
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Post by Lee on May 24, 2017 7:18:41 GMT
- Do you think AI and synthetic life in the Fallout world deserves equal treatment and consideration to humanity?
- How do you feel about the Railroad as an organization, generally?
- Do you draw the line somewhere on which AI deserve equal rights? The most advanced synths to Protectrons, Eyebots and other simple bots.
- What is your opinion of the AI characters and Synths we've seen in the Fallout games so far? Do you want more in the future?
- Would you be interested in more AI love interests in the future? Maybe something less "human" than Danse/synth Curie? (Nick, Mr. House, Ada, etc.)
1. Generation 3 and forward absolutely have a soul or spark of life if you will. They deserve to be treated as equals. 2. I like the fact that they fight for freedom for an oppressed people, but I"m not actually crazy about their tactics sometimes. I mean I get it-but the way they ask the SS to betray and lie to his own son. That bothers me a loooottttt! 3. I do. Mainly the gen 3 ones are the ones with that human/real life aspect to them. However, there have been some stand out situations that make me question my logic. Such as Ed-e in New Vegas, and of course Codsworth in 4. 4. So far all the ones that have been actual companions have been amazingly interesting and fun to travel with. I would love to see more. 5. I'm mostly interested in human or at least fleshy (ghoul) romances, but Nick is a great character so I see the appeal fo sure. I also get banged by FISTO in new Vegas, so clearly I'm kinky enough to give it a go. |
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Post by pessimistpanda on May 24, 2017 7:26:52 GMT
Well in Fallout, having equal rights to humans really just means having the right to be murdered at random, lol.
But I think it needs to be determined on a case by case basis. Some robots and synths are clearly intelligent enough to pass as human, but it's difficult to know if they are thinking independently or they are programmed that way.
That said, I support the Railroad completely because the Institute and the Brotherhood are both garbage. The only other faction I would ever even CONSIDER is the Minutemen. Whether synths and robots are "human" sort of falls to the wayside, because the people that think they aren't also believe that whole swathes of other people should be wiped out for shitty eugenics reasons. When it comes down to it, robots and synths aren't any more of a threat to me than ghouls, super mutants and ordinary humans, so I'm gonna fight for their right to exist, regardless.
I really like the robot and synth companions and I want them to keep making them, but I don't think I would romance a Mr. Handy or Protectron, lol.
A robot dog would be awesome. Like Dogmeat, but with lasers. D:
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Post by nocte on May 24, 2017 7:39:38 GMT
2. I like the fact that they fight for freedom for an oppressed people, but I"m not actually crazy about their tactics sometimes. I mean I get it-but the way they ask the SS to betray and lie to his own son. That bothers me a loooottttt!
I don't know if we need to spoiler this, it's been more than our designated time and almost everyone has played it, but I'll go ahead. lol
It doesn't bother me that they ask you to betray Shawn because I think it's the right thing to do. I believe what he's doing is terribly wrong. He's forcing Synths into slavery, wiping out their minds and what makes them individuals so they'll be just useful tools again. I think it's a disgusting thing and it easy for me to side against him. even be horrified by what he's become, honestly. He's "your son", but he's just an adult faction leader that developed his own very skewed (imo) moral code without you that isn't going to change now. I don't expect the Railroad to throw out their entire belief system and be alright with you helping him to undermine everything they're doing just because he's your biological son. That's especially so, because I believe they're in the right.
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Ark
The Beastmaster
Posts: 787 
Likes: 3,102
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Post by Ark on May 24, 2017 7:41:12 GMT
I'm generally pretty conflicted regarding the AI in Fallout games, and i'm not entirely sure why. In other games like Mass Effect i'm very protective of the Geth and Edi, and generally embrace synthetics. In Fallout 4 I don't feel quite the same. I was initially very attached to Codsworth for instance, and even now generally like him (despite his love of jumping in front of my scope when i'm sniping  ). But while he seems to have a genuine fondness for my character and his family, when i hear him swell with pride about General Atomics, It's sounds genuine as well, even though that seems like it would be a programmed emotion. And then i just get unsettled that his attachment to the PC's family is likewise another subroutine, and that it's keeping him trapped at the house 200 years later. The Synth's themselves don't unsettle me, but regardless of whether you side with the Institute or Railroad, it seems that erasing memories and rewriting their personalities is par for the course, and that gives me the creeps. Shaun Synth on the other hand, makes me just depressed. I mean the kid's going to be 10 years old for his entire lifespan. When i talk to him i get the impression his memory gets fuzzy at times, and i can only assume that in order to keep him from realizing he is a synth, and that he is not aging, he may be programmed to not recognize the passing of time like everyone around him. |
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Post by pessimistpanda on May 24, 2017 7:44:26 GMT
Actually, you know what would be awesome? If the next protagonist WAS a Synth, or something similar. Maybe we learn that we were imprinted with the memories and emotions of a pre-war individual (or someone else, I'm not picky).
Our creator will probably be the villain in that scenario, lol. Bethesda does like their obvious twists.
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Post by Lee on May 24, 2017 7:48:24 GMT
2. I like the fact that they fight for freedom for an oppressed people, but I"m not actually crazy about their tactics sometimes. I mean I get it-but the way they ask the SS to betray and lie to his own son. That bothers me a loooottttt!
I don't know if we need to spoiler this, it's been more than our designated time and almost everyone has played it, but I'll go ahead. lol
It doesn't bother me that they ask you to betray Shawn because I think it's the right thing to do. I believe what he's doing is terribly wrong. He's forcing Synths into slavery, wiping out their minds and what makes them individuals so they'll be just useful tools again. I think it's a disgusting thing and it easy for me to side against him. even be horrified by what he's become, honestly. He's "your son", but he's just an adult faction leader that developed his own very skewed (imo) moral code without you that isn't going to change now. I don't expect the Railroad to throw out their entire belief system and be alright with you helping him to undermine everything they're doing just because he's your biological son. That's especially so, because I believe they're in the right.
You hate my feels! I mean..erm...I guess I see your point of view. However, I really like Shawn, so lying to him is not my jam. I'd rather side with one of the factions that don't lie to him if I take a moral stance against the institute (which I rarely do). Honestly even if I believe synths are real people, which I usually do. Blowing up the institute will eventually cause them to go away as a species anyway, so siding with them is actually what's best for their survival in the long haul. You can eventually change the system form within. I am institute for life-clean beds, non-toxic food (thought not digging the pastes per say...but they grow veggies at least.)  |
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Post by Lee on May 24, 2017 7:50:59 GMT
Actually, you know what would be awesome? If the next protagonist WAS a Synth, or something similar. Maybe we learn that we were imprinted with the memories and emotions of a pre-war individual (or someone else, I'm not picky). Our creator will probably be the villain in that scenario, lol. Bethesda does like their obvious twists. that would be cool. Also there is wiggle room to assume that the Soul Survivor is a synth too. It's a pretty popular theory in some sects of the fandom, and sort of supported by the Far Harbor DLC. I don't think it's actually the case, but they gave you enough room to run with it-if you are so inclined. |
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Post by nocte on May 24, 2017 7:53:15 GMT
Well in Fallout, having equal rights to humans really just means having the right to be murdered at random, lol. But I think it needs to be determined on a case by case basis. Some robots and synths are clearly intelligent enough to pass as human, but it's difficult to know if they are thinking independently or they are programmed that way. That said, I support the Railroad completely because the Institute and the Brotherhood are both garbage. The only other faction I would ever even CONSIDER is the Minutemen. Whether synths and robots are "human" sort of falls to the wayside, because the people that think they aren't also believe that whole swathes of other people should be wiped out for shitty eugenics reasons. When it comes down to it, robots and synths aren't any more of a threat to me than ghouls, super mutants and ordinary humans, so I'm gonna fight for their right to exist, regardless. I really like the robot and synth companions and I want them to keep making them, but I don't think I would romance a Mr. Handy or Protectron, lol. A robot dog would be awesome. Like Dogmeat, but with lasers. D: I think the programming debate is an interesting one, because it's not really like humans aren't "programmed" organically. Our thought process, emotions, etc, are really just a lot of chemical releases and electrical synapses that aren't completely off rails. "Human instinct" is largely just an evolved pattern of the brain reacting in certain ways to keep the organism alive and reproducing. It's organic programming, basically. I don't believe there's anything more metaphysical to the human thought process. I think the brain is basically just an organic computer, of sorts. So, I think the difference, for me, is just how much versatility the program allows. Whether it's too rigid and simplistic for the AI to be considered a being capable of higher reasoning. I like that you can basically side with the Railroad/Minutemen and not do any damage to the other. They seem like the obvious "good guys" in this world. I always support both factions as much as possible. I sort of see the Minutemen as similar to the NCR with all their negative qualities (homophobic, aggressively militaristic and a bit authoritarian) removed. Actually, maybe they're more like a Yes Man path that can actually succeed. That's probably more accurate. They're basically like the sharecroppers, but more organized and able to stand on their own, where the Yes Man path in NV doesn't seem stable at all. That's why I go with Mr. House, even though he's not perfect. Rex was a cute cyborg dog, but a fully robot dog would be great. |
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Post by pessimistpanda on May 24, 2017 7:55:38 GMT
Actually, you know what would be awesome? If the next protagonist WAS a Synth, or something similar. Maybe we learn that we were imprinted with the memories and emotions of a pre-war individual (or someone else, I'm not picky). Our creator will probably be the villain in that scenario, lol. Bethesda does like their obvious twists. that would be cool. Also there is wiggle room to assume that the Soul Survivor is a synth too. It's a pretty popular theory in some sects of the fandom, and sort of supported by the Far Harbor DLC. I don't think it's actually the case, but they gave you enough room to run with it-if you are so inclined. It could be. Who knows what happened while he was frozen. But I'd like a story that makes it explicit. |
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Post by Lee on May 24, 2017 7:56:53 GMT
that would be cool. Also there is wiggle room to assume that the Soul Survivor is a synth too. It's a pretty popular theory in some sects of the fandom, and sort of supported by the Far Harbor DLC. I don't think it's actually the case, but they gave you enough room to run with it-if you are so inclined. It could be. Who knows what happened while he was frozen. But I'd like a story that makes it explicit. Same. It'd be a wonderful way to really dig home just how human a synth really is or isn't. |
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Post by nocte on May 24, 2017 8:02:03 GMT
I'm generally pretty conflicted regarding the AI in Fallout games, and i'm not entirely sure why. In other games like Mass Effect i'm very protective of the Geth and Edi, and generally embrace synthetics. In Fallout 4 I don't feel quite the same. I was initially very attached to Codsworth for instance, and even now generally like him (despite his love of jumping in front of my scope when i'm sniping ). But while he seems to have a genuine fondness for my character and his family, when i hear him swell with pride about General Atomics, It's sounds genuine as well, even though that seems like it would be a programmed emotion. And then i just get unsettled that his attachment to the PC's family is likewise another subroutine, and that it's keeping him trapped at the house 200 years later. The Synth's themselves don't unsettle me, but regardless of whether you side with the Institute or Railroad, it seems that erasing memories and rewriting their personalities is par for the course, and that gives me the creeps. Shaun Synth on the other hand, makes me just depressed. I mean the kid's going to be 10 years old for his entire lifespan. When i talk to him i get the impression his memory gets fuzzy at times, and i can only assume that in order to keep him from realizing he is a synth, and that he is not aging, he may be programmed to not recognize the passing of time like everyone around him. I think the decision to wipe the Synths brains by the Railroad is meant to be a somewhat controversial one. It is, at least, a volunteer basis situation. They don't have to do it. That was actually one thing that rubbed me wrong about them, was that they encouraged it. I didn't really think they should pressure the issue or push so hard that it was the best solution for most Synths. It seemed like very little effort was put into giving the Synths time to adjust to the realization and the decision was usually made at a time of extreme turmoil when a clear thought process was unlikely. It's one thing I would rather change a bit about the Railroad, tbh. I agree the Shaun Synth is a little upsetting. He shouldn't have been made.  But I like the idea of at least making his life as comfortable as possible while you can. I always think leaving him with Codsworth once you're gone seems like the best overall case. Neither of their instincts or positions change much and neither of them want to be alone. |
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Post by Lee on May 24, 2017 8:06:35 GMT
I'm generally pretty conflicted regarding the AI in Fallout games, and i'm not entirely sure why. In other games like Mass Effect i'm very protective of the Geth and Edi, and generally embrace synthetics. In Fallout 4 I don't feel quite the same. I was initially very attached to Codsworth for instance, and even now generally like him (despite his love of jumping in front of my scope when i'm sniping ). But while he seems to have a genuine fondness for my character and his family, when i hear him swell with pride about General Atomics, It's sounds genuine as well, even though that seems like it would be a programmed emotion. And then i just get unsettled that his attachment to the PC's family is likewise another subroutine, and that it's keeping him trapped at the house 200 years later. The Synth's themselves don't unsettle me, but regardless of whether you side with the Institute or Railroad, it seems that erasing memories and rewriting their personalities is par for the course, and that gives me the creeps. Shaun Synth on the other hand, makes me just depressed. I mean the kid's going to be 10 years old for his entire lifespan. When i talk to him i get the impression his memory gets fuzzy at times, and i can only assume that in order to keep him from realizing he is a synth, and that he is not aging, he may be programmed to not recognize the passing of time like everyone around him. I think the decision to wipe the Synths brains by the Railroad is meant to be a somewhat controversial one. It is, at least, a volunteer basis situation. They don't have to do it. That was actually one thing that rubbed me wrong about them, was that they encouraged it. I didn't really think they should pressure the issue or push so hard that it was the best solution for most Synths. It seemed like very little effort was put into giving the Synths time to adjust to the realization and the decision was usually made at a time of extreme turmoil when a clear thought process was unlikely. It's one thing I would rather change a bit about the Railroad, tbh. I agree the Shaun Synth is a little upsetting. He shouldn't have been made. But I like the idea of at least making his life as comfortable as possible while you can. I always think leaving him with Codsworth once you're gone seems like the best overall case. Neither of their instincts or positions change much and neither of them want to be alone. I tend to think about the shaun bot too much I guess, and that's why I like to side with Lorenzo in the Cabot house side quest line-so I can live forever to take care of him as long as he needs me. Also works well with other things too. Also on a random note I just realized this was my:  |
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Post by pessimistpanda on May 24, 2017 8:08:27 GMT
Well in Fallout, having equal rights to humans really just means having the right to be murdered at random, lol. But I think it needs to be determined on a case by case basis. Some robots and synths are clearly intelligent enough to pass as human, but it's difficult to know if they are thinking independently or they are programmed that way. That said, I support the Railroad completely because the Institute and the Brotherhood are both garbage. The only other faction I would ever even CONSIDER is the Minutemen. Whether synths and robots are "human" sort of falls to the wayside, because the people that think they aren't also believe that whole swathes of other people should be wiped out for shitty eugenics reasons. When it comes down to it, robots and synths aren't any more of a threat to me than ghouls, super mutants and ordinary humans, so I'm gonna fight for their right to exist, regardless. I really like the robot and synth companions and I want them to keep making them, but I don't think I would romance a Mr. Handy or Protectron, lol. A robot dog would be awesome. Like Dogmeat, but with lasers. D: I think the programming debate is an interesting one, because it's not really like humans aren't "programmed" organically. Our thought process, emotions, etc, are really just a lot of chemical releases and electrical synapses that aren't completely off rails. "Human instinct" is largely just an evolved pattern of the brain reacting in certain ways to keep the organism alive and reproducing. It's organic programming, basically. I don't believe there's anything more metaphysical to the human thought process. I think the brain is basically just an organic computer, of sorts. So, I think the difference, for me, is just how much versatility the program allows. Whether it's too rigid and simplistic for the AI to be considered a being capable of higher reasoning. I like that you can basically side with the Railroad/Minutemen and not do any damage to the other. They seem like the obvious "good guys" in this world. I always support both factions as much as possible. I sort of see the Minutemen as similar to the NCR with all their negative qualities (homophobic, aggressively militaristic and a bit authoritarian) removed. Actually, maybe they're more like a Yes Man path that can actually succeed. That's probably more accurate. They're basically like the sharecroppers, but more organized and able to stand on their own, where the Yes Man path in NV doesn't seem stable at all. That's why I go with Mr. House, even though he's not perfect. Rex was a cute cyborg dog, but a fully robot dog would be great. That's a good point, and something I have thought about before. If a robot's internal systems can detect damage and react accordingly, how is that different from a human nervous system? If it can parse events/stimulus as being positive or negative, and respond, then how is that different from human emotions? Now that I think of it, maybe a good indicator of sufficient "complexity" would be if the AI in question had a sense of humour, or sarcasm/irony. I dunno what the reasoning is behind it, but humour seems to be the thing that AI always struggles with in media. The robot can tell a joke, but it can't understand why it's funny. |
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Post by nocte on May 24, 2017 8:09:14 GMT
I don't know if we need to spoiler this, it's been more than our designated time and almost everyone has played it, but I'll go ahead. lol
It doesn't bother me that they ask you to betray Shawn because I think it's the right thing to do. I believe what he's doing is terribly wrong. He's forcing Synths into slavery, wiping out their minds and what makes them individuals so they'll be just useful tools again. I think it's a disgusting thing and it easy for me to side against him. even be horrified by what he's become, honestly. He's "your son", but he's just an adult faction leader that developed his own very skewed (imo) moral code without you that isn't going to change now. I don't expect the Railroad to throw out their entire belief system and be alright with you helping him to undermine everything they're doing just because he's your biological son. That's especially so, because I believe they're in the right.
You hate my feels! I mean..erm...I guess I see your point of view. However, I really like Shawn, so lying to him is not my jam. I'd rather side with one of the factions that don't lie to him if I take a moral stance against the institute (which I rarely do). Honestly even if I believe synths are real people, which I usually do. Blowing up the institute will eventually cause them to go away as a species anyway, so siding with them is actually what's best for their survival in the long haul. You can eventually change the system form within. I am institute for life-clean beds, non-toxic food (thought not digging the pastes per say...but they grow veggies at least.) I don't really think they care about "surviving as a species long term", though. I mean, what is the individual benefit in it? They just want to have normal lives and not be recycled for parts. That more of them can keep being made to serve the Institute doesn't seem like a big gain for the average Synth, to me. I mean, I get the reasoning, but I think "survival of the species" doesn't matter much when Synths more so just want to live out their lives as humans than exist as their own, distinct species from humanity. But I might be more inclined to let the Institute survive if I could take it over instead of blow it up. Like, take out the leadership instead of actually destroying it and make massive reforms. And if I didn't have to destroy the Railroad. But it's too much of a dealbreaker, for me, as is. It is sort of weird that you can't just take over the Institute/Prydwen, though. It's kind of a big waste. lol |
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Post by pessimistpanda on May 24, 2017 8:11:40 GMT
You hate my feels! I mean..erm...I guess I see your point of view. However, I really like Shawn, so lying to him is not my jam. I'd rather side with one of the factions that don't lie to him if I take a moral stance against the institute (which I rarely do). Honestly even if I believe synths are real people, which I usually do. Blowing up the institute will eventually cause them to go away as a species anyway, so siding with them is actually what's best for their survival in the long haul. You can eventually change the system form within. I am institute for life-clean beds, non-toxic food (thought not digging the pastes per say...but they grow veggies at least.) I don't really think they care about "surviving as a species long term", though. I mean, what is the individual benefit in it? They just want to have normal lives and not be recycled for parts. That more of them can keep being made to serve the Institute doesn't seem like a big gain for the average Synth, to me. I mean, I get the reasoning, but I think "survival of the species" doesn't matter much when Synths more so just want to live out their lives as humans than exist as their own, distinct species from humanity. But I might be more inclined to let the Institute survive if I could take it over instead of blow it up. Like, take out the leadership instead of actually destroying it and make massive reforms. And if I didn't have to destroy the Railroad. But it's too much of a dealbreaker, for me, as is. It is sort of weird that you can't just take over the Institute/Prydwen, though. It's kind of a big waste. lol Maaaan, now I totally want to take over the Prydwen. I want a kickass airship base. Also, I'll shoot Maxon right in his Richard Spencer haircut and take his sexy coat. >__> |
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Post by nocte on May 24, 2017 8:21:48 GMT
I don't really think they care about "surviving as a species long term", though. I mean, what is the individual benefit in it? They just want to have normal lives and not be recycled for parts. That more of them can keep being made to serve the Institute doesn't seem like a big gain for the average Synth, to me. I mean, I get the reasoning, but I think "survival of the species" doesn't matter much when Synths more so just want to live out their lives as humans than exist as their own, distinct species from humanity. But I might be more inclined to let the Institute survive if I could take it over instead of blow it up. Like, take out the leadership instead of actually destroying it and make massive reforms. And if I didn't have to destroy the Railroad. But it's too much of a dealbreaker, for me, as is. It is sort of weird that you can't just take over the Institute/Prydwen, though. It's kind of a big waste. lol Maaaan, now I totally want to take over the Prydwen. I want a kickass airship base. Also, I'll shoot Maxon right in his Richard Spencer haircut and take his sexy coat. >__> I mean, you know you already can shoot him in his Richard Spencer haircut and take his sexy coat, though, right? lol |
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Post by pessimistpanda on May 24, 2017 8:25:16 GMT
Maaaan, now I totally want to take over the Prydwen. I want a kickass airship base. Also, I'll shoot Maxon right in his Richard Spencer haircut and take his sexy coat. >__> I mean, you know you already can shoot him in his Richard Spencer haircut and take his sexy coat, though, right? lol YOU CAN? Like, it's actually an equippable item? |
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Post by nocte on May 24, 2017 8:26:32 GMT
I mean, you know you already can shoot him in his Richard Spencer haircut and take his sexy coat, though, right? lol YOU CAN? Like, it's actually an equippable item? Hahaha. Yeah. He has a legendary gatling laser on him, too. |
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Post by SecondLight on May 24, 2017 8:49:18 GMT
Something I always found really weird about the synth-vs-human debate in Fallout 4 is how little it comes up just how drastically different Gen-1 and -2 synths are from Gen-3. You'd think it would make the in-game debate a little easier if more people seemed to realize Gen-3s are literally humans built in a lab and are biologically indistinguishable from humans, since not many people in the game really bring up any metaphysical argument about souls or whatever. Everyone in-game seems to talk about them as if they're human skin over super advanced machinery when it would seem that in canon they literally have a perfectly formed human brain - whatever they do "for" the Institute should be directly comparable to similar brainwashing on a regular person, which presumably the Institute could do the same way via an implant/synth component or whatever if they so chose.
Where to draw the line on actual machines is a little trickier. To be consistent with my answer on the Gen-3s, I think if you can perfectly mimic the way a real human brain would work via machinery, that 'mind' should be granted whatever rights a regular human would have. I believe there would not be any fundamental difference between the two and that our evolutionary 'programming' is just that, a complex machine. At least in the Fallout universe this is the easy stance to take since we have Nick, a Gen-2 with his programming 'uploaded' from a human brain, and most people would probably agree to grant him rights based on how person-like he is.
We also have DiMA who, if we believe him, was allowed to develop personality on his own - iirc he doesn't tell us what he 'started off' with when they built him, which would be super useful to know for this discussion, but we do know he's pure machinery as well and through some ridiculous machine-learning algorithm managed to develop a personality based on experience like a human would. The interesting part here is how his morality ended up developing - extremely utilitarian at its core, which gives the impression of the cold unfeeling machine pretending to be moral, but since there are humans who would make the decisions he does this doesn't necessarily make him less human. It would be super interesting to see whether all Gen-2.5 synths whose brains developed this way would turn out the same, but with one example there's not really a lot to be said about whether the algorithm is faulty and favours 'robot-like', arguably inhumanly-reckless thought processes over more 'human' emotions like empathy. He does display the latter seemingly genuinely, and if we believe his explanations, these more sympathetic emotions are indeed a key factor in his decision-making process. A shame there were only two of these Gen-2.5 synths because I think they are the most important part of the synth vs human discussion.
Okay sorry for rambling those are my thoughts about synths. Also you should be able to bang DiMA, it is a tragedy that you can't (and yet you can bang the robo-brain in the hotel...bethesda pls)
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). But while he seems to have a genuine fondness for my character and his family, when i hear him swell with pride about General Atomics, It's sounds genuine as well, even though that seems like it would be a programmed emotion. And then i just get unsettled that his attachment to the PC's family is likewise another subroutine, and that it's keeping him trapped at the house 200 years later. 
But I like the idea of at least making his life as comfortable as possible while you can. I always think leaving him with Codsworth once you're gone seems like the best overall case. Neither of their instincts or positions change much and neither of them want to be alone.
