Comp/Con

Companion/concierge units, typically shortened to “comp/cons” (less common, but also used are “cc” and “2c”), are the most common machine minds9. On Core worlds and throughout developed Diasporan worlds, most adults to carry around pocket-sized comp/con-enabled devices – commonly called “slates” on account of their appearance – and use them for everyday tasks: day-planning, calling friends and family, playing games, navigation, listening to music, watching omninet and local network news and entertainment broadcasts, engaging in social media, and so on. These devices are not conscious in any way, but their processing power and “intelligence” are orders of magnitude beyond those of any given human. They are powerful, operator-oriented personal computers – no more, no less. Their architecture features no paracausal elements, and they do not require shackling or cycling.
Comp/cons are configured to adapt to their owner’s routines and personality, extrapolating their own personalities based on internal psychological profiling of their users. A comp/con can convincingly approximate a personal assistant but will show its artificiality when faced with novel situations.