Artificial intelligence

• Legitimate intelligence and sentience on an artificially-produced, usually computational substrate
• As distinguished from virtual intelligence
  • Space between VI and AI is vague and ill-defined, often requiring extended research and interaction to distinguish between highly advanced VI and newborn AI (DS9 Novel: The Long Mirage)
• Federation research into AI generally restricted for similar justifications as for genetic engineering bans
  • Long-standing discomfort originating from artificially intelligent agents during World War III (ENT Novel: Live by the Code)
  • General distaste at creating intelligent beings purely for the sake of creating them
• Various negative interactions with foreign and malign artificial intelligences throughout 22nd and 23rd century solidified this perception, only waning during the mid-24th century (TNG Novel: Immortal Coil)