No "Computer...." anymore...
- Thread starter FreddyE
- Start date
It’s obvious if you try to say it instead of “Hey Siri” or similar: “Computer” sounds quaint by comparison, as if we’re still thinking of a PC or a mainframe instead of an external AI accessed via the internet. I’d imagine that PIC devices listen to everything and immediately act if it’s clear they are being addressed (and otherwise remain silent), which would be a natural update for the current era and beyond. For backwards compatibility they probably recognize “Computer” also.
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They do, but if you call them that, when they respond they call you "human" (or whatever your species is) in a tone that one could swear is very mildly disdainful.
Or Rio's ship has different Keywords to trigger the Computer / AI to respond.
Or they call you "dear" in a seductive female voice, just to mess with your mind.
Significantly, it's a "late 24th century Federation thing" rather than an "early 21st century Star Trek thing". The folks back in DSC still say "Computer!" in order to get a response. And although they don't get a klickety-clackety-rackety noise in response, they do get the occasional "Computing"...
Timo Saloniemi
Timo Saloniemi
DSC being a prequel can’t possibly introduce such updates (except when it does so anyway).
It makes sense that sometime soon in the future computers will just know when you are talking to them, or know when you are not talking to anyone in the room, even yourself, and take that to mean they should respond.
...Which will then result in a backlash, and the only thing the computers will be allowed to do with their conversation-level intellect is open doors at the appropriate moment.
The idea of non-acceptance of tech also does away with any prequel concerns: tech can appear, and then disappear for good once found to be contrary to user needs and preferences.
Timo Saloniemi
The idea of non-acceptance of tech also does away with any prequel concerns: tech can appear, and then disappear for good once found to be contrary to user needs and preferences.
Timo Saloniemi
why-would-users-have-a-need-for-this-though?
A feeling of superiority? It's annoying if a machine starts pretending it is entitled to participating in a conversation. But sometimes the machine does have relevant things to say, and it should then say those while suitably groveling. And a starship computer can only grovel by stuttering...
Timo Saloniemi
Timo Saloniemi
Discovery and Picard show the computers as constantly monitoring the crew. The EMH turning itself on during times of stress, or the Discovery computer getting help when Tilly hurt herself. It's a logical extrapolation from today, but as usual with Discovery it doesn't fit with TOS and causes problems if you give it any real thought.
The last thing I want to hear in Star Trek is a Hitch hiker’s-like Eddie the ship board computer but as long as it doesn’t extend to that level, I’m quite apathetic to it. Whether there is a “computer” prompt or not seems fairly unimportant to me except insofar as dialogue is confused with computer requests.
The Enterprise-D also continuously monitors internal activity, not only because that's the only way you can have a computer respond to a prompt like "Computer" "Siri" etc but because they call up complex surveillance information on people and it's just there. The only difference between TNG and PIC is the computers are finally allowed to act on their own like the doors always did.
TOS though, I think they usually hit a button before talking to the computer either naturally or with prompts. That kind of fits with having to manually activate the EMH in Voyager, but once it is going it is allowed to act without further input. That's interesting in comparison to the Sirena's EMH who can self activate but cannot initiate action without a prompt. It may be nothing more than a safety optimization so people who wouldn't know there is an EMH can find it in an emergency, but in any case requires user input to start treatment.
DIS to TOS fits with a growing technophobia or retro grouch stance we see starting with Captain Pike.
There's the time in TOS where the computer gets the sexy personality as an upgrade, so it might very well be that.
Not seen Picard, but given the level of technogical sophistication in the Federation, for all we know, there might be Minds (in the likeness of The Culture) in the civilian sector of life and on civilian ships, and Starfleet simply has a hopelessly archaic mindset compared to the rest of the Federation
(not that I personally would believe so, though).
