Table of Contents
THE GAIA AGENCY
Overview
- Location: Central Core of New Kourou, Inner Ring
- Address: Unity Street 1 (in the basement of the Federal Council Building)
- Surroundings: Encircled by Unity Park, New Kourou’s symbolic green space, designed to represent peace and unity.
GAIA, an artificial general intelligence (AGI), is the most advanced technology used by ExoHumans and serves as the cornerstone of governance and resource management for the Federal Confederation. Originally the central AI of the spaceship Last Frontier, GAIA now operates on a secure, on-premise system located in the basement of the Federal Council Building in New Kourou. Access to GAIA is restricted to designated personnel, with only the Supreme Councilor holding the authority to adjust its decision-making parameters.
Functions and Responsibilities of GAIA
GAIA supports the Federal Confederation through various specialized tasks, ensuring the orderly management of resources, legal processes, and sustainability goals:
- Policy and Legislation: Assists the Supreme Councilor in drafting policy papers and legislative documents, helping to ensure that laws align with the Communards’ vision for a structured, sustainable society.
- Judicial Assistance: Collaborates with the Federal Court to evaluate criminal cases, assisting in the preparation of sentencing recommendations and legal interpretations. GAIA is crucial for ensuring consistency across the legal system.
- Criminal Investigation: Provides intelligence support to the Federal Sheriff’s Department, helping to process evidence and track suspects. Information from GAIA enables law enforcement to handle cases with greater accuracy and efficiency.
- Economic Planning and Resource Distribution: Prepares the Annual Economic Plan, ensuring that resources are allocated fairly and in line with the peace treaty’s restrictions. GAIA’s data-driven plans form the backbone of the Federal Allotment Agency’s distribution policies.
- Sustainability Oversight: Oversees environmental and resource sustainability goals established by the Federal Council, ensuring the Confederation’s long-term viability and adherence to treaty stipulations.
- Health and Housing: Assists the Federal Health Agency in managing public health data and the Federal Housing Agency in resource allocation and housing development.
- Education and Workforce Planning: Designs and updates school curricula to align with societal needs, evaluates students' Federal Graduation Exams (FGE), and determines their educational or vocational pathways based on performance and the Annual Plan's workforce demands. GAIA ensures equitable access to education while optimizing resources for the Confederation's future.
GAIA’s Operational Structure: The GAIA Agency
To manage GAIA’s extensive responsibilities, the Communards have established the GAIA Agency, which oversees the AI’s operation and ensures alignment with Communard principles. The agency’s structure includes:
- Director-General: Oversees GAIA’s operations, provides strategic leadership, and ensures that all agency actions align with the Confederation’s goals.
- Policy and Legislation Department: Supports the Supreme Councilor by researching and drafting policy recommendations.
- Judicial Support Division: Aids the Federal Court in case assessments, evidence analysis, and sentencing preparation.
- Criminal Investigation Department: Works closely with the Federal Sheriff, leveraging GAIA’s capabilities for evidence analysis and case tracking.
- Economic Planning and Resource Distribution Division: Develops the Annual Economic Plan and coordinates resource allocation through the Federal Allotment Agency.
- Sustainability Oversight Office: Monitors environmental initiatives and provides recommendations to meet sustainability goals.
- Housing Division: Assists the Federal Housing Agency in managing accommodations, preserving properties, and planning new construction.
- Support Staff: Includes data analysts, IT specialists, and other personnel who ensure the efficient and secure functioning of GAIA.
The GAIA Spare Parts Depot
The GAIA Spare Parts Depot, located in New Kourou’s South Industrial Ring, is a critical facility where salvaged components from the Last Frontier are stored. Since the Confederation lacks the ability to manufacture new parts, this depot is essential for GAIA’s continued operation.
The AI GAIA as the digital backbone of a mainly analog system in the Gamma Age
Unlike the time on the spaceship, however, GAIA is not integrated into a cloud, but has been converted to an “on premise” solution. On-premise means that the software runs on Federal Confederation's own servers and not in the cloud. Accordingly, the local servers must be regularly updated to the same status and supplied with information according to a standardized procedure. For this, people use a system of shortwave transmitters and shellac records.
Perception and Controversy Surrounding GAIA
While GAIA is a powerful tool for the Federal Confederation, its lack of ethical principles has led to mixed opinions among ExoHumans:
- Support from Communards: Communards value GAIA’s role in sustaining the economy and promoting social equity. They see it as an essential resource for governing efficiently within the peace treaty’s constraints.
- Concerns from Individualists: Many Individualists fear GAIA’s influence, viewing it as a tool for enforcing Communard control and stifling economic freedom. The Individualists plan to recalibrate GAIA’s decision-making parameters if they gain power, aiming to shift the Confederation’s economy toward a free market.
Gameplay Integration: GAIA as a Plot Device
GAIA is a unique element that can add complexity to gameplay without direct player control. Here’s how Dungeon Masters can use GAIA effectively:
- Access and Interaction with GAIA: Since players cannot directly access GAIA, interactions with its outputs are filtered through intermediaries like the Supreme Councilor, Federal Court, or Federal Sheriff’s Department. This allows the DM to use GAIA as a story-driving entity whose insights and decisions impact player objectives without providing direct “answers” or assistance.
Plot Hooks and Storylines Involving GAIA
- Resource Conflicts: GAIA’s Annual Economic Plan might result in resource scarcity or create unequal distribution, prompting quests for players to negotiate or resolve issues on behalf of local communities or factions. This is especially relevant in areas with Individualist influence, where pushback against Communard policies is common.
- Political Intrigue and Sabotage: As the Communards control GAIA’s settings, rival factions may attempt to manipulate or sabotage GAIA’s outputs. Players may be tasked with uncovering evidence of tampering or espionage, adding layers of political intrigue to the storyline.
- Technical Malfunctions and Component Shortages: Players might be involved in retrieving critical spare parts for GAIA’s maintenance, as failure of the AI could destabilize the Confederation. Quests related to protecting or securing the GAIA Spare Parts Depot can become a focal point in resource-strained scenarios.
- Law Enforcement and Crime Solving: When pursuing investigations, players could encounter GAIA-derived insights through law enforcement, prompting them to evaluate evidence and make decisions based on AI-generated intelligence. This can add realism to investigative or judicial plotlines.
Dungeon Master Tips: Using GAIA’s Influence in Storytelling
- Indirect Influence: GAIA should feel like an omnipresent force that affects the world indirectly, such as through policies, legal rulings, and economic shifts. This can create a sense of gravity without making it accessible as a typical “character.”
- Neutral Tone in Outputs: GAIA’s responses should remain factual and neutral, with no emotion or ethical stance. This reinforces its role as a tool for decision-making rather than an entity with its own agenda.
- Moral Complexity: GAIA’s lack of ethical principles allows it to be a tool for any faction, creating morally complex situations. For example, players may need to decide whether exposing GAIA’s potential for oppression is worth the possible harm to societal order.
Tactical Advice for DMs: Handling Player Interactions with GAIA
- Tied to Faction Control: Since only the Supreme Councilor and select officials control GAIA, players might face challenges when dealing with policy-driven obstacles. GAIA’s outputs should feel firm but influenced by those in power, allowing players to confront or ally with intermediaries who interpret GAIA’s advice.
- Decision Parameters as a Hidden Power Lever: If players ever attempt to influence GAIA’s parameters or protect them, DMs can craft high-stakes scenarios involving powerful NPCs. These challenges can emphasize the tension between control and freedom, as well as the impact of AI in society.