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Subject: Is Cortana Rampant?

"Don't mistake your rank and number for superiority.
The oldest child may learn from the youngest."

Cortana, being deemed a "smart" AI, has been given a "life span" of seven years. She was created sometime before the Fall of Reach by a flash clone of Dr. Halsey's brain. By 2556, she was already showing signs of rampancy, as seen in Halo Legends episode Origins.

The trailer for Halo 4 though, as it has already been stated by Frank O'Connor, takes place "a bit" of time after Halo 3, indicating that Cortana is perhaps not rampant.

My theory on this is that perhaps while the fragment of her studied the Forerunner artifact under Reach, she discovered knowledge that might have helped her overcome rampancy.

"Smart" AI have no limitations in their dynamic memory-processor matrix, meaning they can not only be taught a vast wealth of information, but can learn and comprehend from their surroundings.

Forerunner AI, such as 343 Guilty Spark who had spent around 100,000 years with little to no contact with other intelligent beings, are limited in their knowledge and abilities. One thing that I have found curious is that Spark was made rampant by a single action, similar to Mendicant Bias when he defected to the Flood, which I found strange.

I guess my point is that maybe Cortana taught herself how to limit her knowledge from the artifact so that she may live longer.

Much thanks to Halopedia.

Thanks for reading. Thoughts? Theories?

[Edited on 07.27.2011 8:27 AM PDT]

  • 07.27.2011 8:03 AM PDT
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Spark didn't go rampant. It is Halo Installation Monitor's protocol to attack anything that poses a threat to their installation.

  • 07.27.2011 8:06 AM PDT
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Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?

frankie never said "a large amount of time" he said ' a bit ' stop exaggerating.

As of yet she isn't rampant; the gravemind tried to trick her into thinking she was but she caught the bluff. so we won't know what happens until halo 4.

And the UNSC doesn't even know the average lifespan of an AI since they delete it after 7 years.

MB has never been said or even implied to be rampant, we just don't understand what his deal is.


And don't use halopedia

  • 07.27.2011 8:07 AM PDT

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I feel like rampancy is gonna be an issue for Cortana in the games. I don't think she found a way to "overcome" rampancy but possibly she found a way to deal with it.

  • 07.27.2011 8:09 AM PDT
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Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?


Posted by: Dustin 6047
Was rampant. During her time at Flood-infested High Charity for a few months.


somebody didn't read evolutions

  • 07.27.2011 8:09 AM PDT

"Don't mistake your rank and number for superiority.
The oldest child may learn from the youngest."

Posted by: About 9 Grunts
I feel like rampancy is gonna be an issue for Cortana in the games. I don't think she found a way to "overcome" rampancy but possibly she found a way to deal with it.

I feel the same way. We saw quite a bit in Halo 3 but I think we'll see much more.

  • 07.27.2011 8:11 AM PDT

"Don't mistake your rank and number for superiority.
The oldest child may learn from the youngest."

Posted by: grey101
frankie never said "a large amount of time" he said ' a bit ' stop exaggerating.

Goodness, alright I'll change it.

Posted by: grey101
As of yet she isn't rampant; the gravemind tried to trick her into thinking she was but she caught the bluff. so we won't know what happens until halo 4.

Okay, but do you think that she'll ever be rampant?

Posted by: grey101
And the UNSC doesn't even know the average lifespan of an AI since they delete it after 7 years.

Didn't know that. They never just let it live past 7 years?

Posted by: grey101
MB has never been said or even implied to be rampant, we just don't understand what his deal is.

I felt it was clear. I mean we don't know a lot but he went against the Forerunner, which seems rampant to me, and sought repentance afterward.

Posted by: grey101
And don't use halopedia

What's wrong with Halopedia?

  • 07.27.2011 8:26 AM PDT
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Posted by: AlkkaPWN
Posted by: grey101
frankie never said "a large amount of time" he said ' a bit ' stop exaggerating.

Goodness, alright I'll change it.

Posted by: grey101
As of yet she isn't rampant; the gravemind tried to trick her into thinking she was but she caught the bluff. so we won't know what happens until halo 4.

Okay, but do you think that she'll ever be rampant?

Posted by: grey101
And the UNSC doesn't even know the average lifespan of an AI since they delete it after 7 years.

Didn't know that. They never just let it live past 7 years?

Posted by: grey101
MB has never been said or even implied to be rampant, we just don't understand what his deal is.

I felt it was clear. I mean we don't know a lot but he went against the Forerunner, which seems rampant to me, and sought repentance afterward.

Posted by: grey101
And don't use halopedia

What's wrong with Halopedia?
Because it can be edited by anyone and a large portion of it is speculation and guesses.

  • 07.27.2011 8:34 AM PDT

"Don't mistake your rank and number for superiority.
The oldest child may learn from the youngest."

Posted by: Onyx81
Posted by: AlkkaPWN
What's wrong with Halopedia?
Because it can be edited by anyone and a large portion of it is speculation and guesses.

So, just games and books? I seem to have hit a wall because of all the conflicting canon.

  • 07.27.2011 8:37 AM PDT
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I'm quite interested in Rampancy, because it is one of the lesser known part of Halo lore. (can't believe I said that)

Human accounts of Rampancy are far and few, and only briefly touched on in Contact Harvest.

What I really want to know is what would happen to the AI after Rampancy.

-edit- Sorry if I appear off-topic.

[Edited on 07.27.2011 8:40 AM PDT]

  • 07.27.2011 8:39 AM PDT

"Don't mistake your rank and number for superiority.
The oldest child may learn from the youngest."

Posted by: Poy Poy
I'm quite interested in Rampancy, because it is one of the lesser known part of Halo lore. (can't believe I said that)

Human accounts of Rampancy are far and few, and only briefly touched on in Contact Harvest.

What I really want to know is what would happen to the AI after Rampancy.

-edit- Sorry if I appear off-topic.

Rampancy is indeed very interesting and complex, especially speaking of Cortana. I'm just very interested in how she'll develop in the upcoming games.

  • 07.27.2011 8:50 AM PDT
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Don't be stupid like I was! Check to see what that Forum Ninja is saying to you!

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-Onyx81


Posted by: AlkkaPWN
Posted by: Onyx81
Posted by: AlkkaPWN
What's wrong with Halopedia?
Because it can be edited by anyone and a large portion of it is speculation and guesses.

So, just games and books? I seem to have hit a wall because of all the conflicting canon.
Well, me and a group of other Halopedians are working on getting another Halo website up similar to Halopedian, with correct facts. I don't mind if people use it. Grey just becomes paranoid about it. I feel that enough of it is correct, but others feel it needs to be perfected.

  • 07.27.2011 8:55 AM PDT

"Don't mistake your rank and number for superiority.
The oldest child may learn from the youngest."

Posted by: Onyx81
Posted by: AlkkaPWN
Posted by: Onyx81
Posted by: AlkkaPWN
What's wrong with Halopedia?
Because it can be edited by anyone and a large portion of it is speculation and guesses.

So, just games and books? I seem to have hit a wall because of all the conflicting canon.
Well, me and a group of other Halopedians are working on getting another Halo website up similar to Halopedian, with correct facts. I don't mind if people use it. Grey just becomes paranoid about it. I feel that enough of it is correct, but others feel it needs to be perfected.

Sounds interesting, can you give me a link? I can tell Grey gets upset and I'm sorry about that. Its just hard to tell what is true and what is false.

  • 07.27.2011 9:01 AM PDT

Humans got rid of AI's after 7 years because thats when they showed signs of rampancy, the only way an AI doesn't go rampant is by it doing something. Like the AI in the rubble in the book Halo: Cole Protocol, but it was clear she was rampant because her age but also because she saw herself as the queen of the rubble. An AI usually goes rampant when they have so much information they think they're more powerful and smarter then their human makers (Sounds like skynet) and they would also over think themselves to death with all their information.

It is believed Cortana would go rampant faster because of all the information she downloaded from Installation 04 and the fact she would have nothing to do BUT think to herself as the Frigate floats around in space (Over think to death). One of the things I think I've read is that an AI has a tough time coming to terms that they'll never be human.

  • 07.27.2011 9:02 AM PDT

"Don't mistake your rank and number for superiority.
The oldest child may learn from the youngest."

Posted by: AverageSol
Humans got rid of AI's after 7 years because thats when they showed signs of rampancy, the only way an AI doesn't go rampant is by it doing something. Like the AI in the rubble in the book Halo: Cole Protocol, but it was clear she was rampant because her age but also because she saw herself as the queen of the rubble. An AI usually goes rampant when they have so much information they think they're more powerful and smarter then their human makers (Sounds like skynet) and they would also over think themselves to death with all their information.

It is believed Cortana would go rampant faster because of all the information she downloaded from Installation 04 and the fact she would have nothing to do BUT think to herself as the Frigate floats around in space (Over think to death). One of the things I think I've read is that an AI has a tough time coming to terms that they'll never be human.

Yeah I've read all of this, I just wonder if Cortana found some way to deal with rampancy either by limiting her knowledge like the Forerunner did to Spark or, like you said, do something, whatever that may be (maybe going through Human history like in Origins).

  • 07.27.2011 9:07 AM PDT

With all the experimental changes made to Cortana, combined with her own self induced chnges, she could be capable of avoiding rampancy. She's had herself split, reformed, copied, editted, transcribed to alien networks, and has taken into herself a great deal of forerunner data.

She could be able to understand herself to the point that rampancy never happens or can pass onto the meta-stable state more easily than others. She could even have learned tricks to compress all the data she holds to avoid thinking herself to death. Or she could become an AI with memory held in a higher dimension through some other means, able to grow infinitesimally.

I'd really like to see her evolve into something like that last one.

[Edited on 07.27.2011 10:01 AM PDT]

  • 07.27.2011 10:01 AM PDT

"Don't mistake your rank and number for superiority.
The oldest child may learn from the youngest."

Posted by: Colichemarde
With all the experimental changes made to Cortana, combined with her own self induced chnges, she could be capable of avoiding rampancy. She's had herself split, reformed, copied, editted, transcribed to alien networks, and has taken into herself a great deal of forerunner data.

She could be able to understand herself to the point that rampancy never happens or can pass onto the meta-stable state more easily than others. She could even have learned tricks to compress all the data she holds to avoid thinking herself to death. Or she could become an AI with memory held in a higher dimension through some other means, able to grow infinitesimally.

I'd really like to see her evolve into something like that last one.

Amazing ideas. To me it seems as if Cortana is unique among AI and I somewhat hope she can overcome rampancy. I also hope her development in these new games will be enthralling.

  • 07.27.2011 10:18 AM PDT

-blam!- Was that actually blammed out? Or did I just type it? You'll never know.

She's menopausal.

  • 07.27.2011 10:38 AM PDT

We kill that which we do not understand...and then promptly tea-bag it.

Mendicant Bias "technically" went rampant (though not through the normal way of gaining too much knowledge, that's impossible for MB). He was convinced by the Gravemind that beings like them (AI's and the Flood), are the next step of evolution in the universes natural ebb and flow of species. Oh, and yes, rampancy is considered the state of an AI is has EITHER (or both) delusions of god-like power, or turns on his creators. Even though I don't know all of the facts on MB's assimilation, I know that he helped the Gravemind destroy most of the Forerunner worlds and people. Eventually, after the final battle between MB and Offensive Bias, OB is considered the victor, yet the terminal doesn't describe the fate of either. However, it's assumed that MB is still alive, and that he has realized the error of his ways, since his transmission in the terminals...which you'll have to read yourself to make your final conclusions. I'm not sure if you know this already, so excuse me if I just lectured you on something that has already been made apparent. Thanks.

[Edited on 07.27.2011 10:47 AM PDT]

  • 07.27.2011 10:42 AM PDT

"Don't mistake your rank and number for superiority.
The oldest child may learn from the youngest."

Posted by: dahuterschuter
She's menopausal.

lol, that works too.

  • 07.27.2011 10:44 AM PDT

Hello! I'm Bunie.net's resident medical student (hell i'm sure there are more but I'm the only one who openly declares it!) I love my emblem, and I am periodically active.
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It will be interesting to see if they include rampancy, it might be a bit too complex for new gamers.

  • 07.27.2011 10:46 AM PDT
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Posted by: Omega Ultimus
Mendicant Bias "technically" went rampant (though not through the normal way of gaining too much knowledge, that's impossible for MB). He was convinced by the Gravemind that beings like them (AI's and the Flood), are the next step of evolution in the universes natural ebb and flow of species. Even though I don't know all of the facts on MB's assimilation, I know that he helped the Gravemind destroy most of the Forerunner worlds and people. Eventually, after the final battle between MB and Offensive Bias, OB is considered the victor, yet the terminal doesn't describe the fate of either. However, it's assumed that MB is still alive, since his transmission in the terminals...which you'll have to read yourself to make your final conclusions. I'm not sure if you know this already, so excuse me if I just lectured you on something that has already been made apparent. Thanks.

We know that OB fragmented MB and sent the fragments around the galaxy, one fragment landed on the prophets home world.
That fragment itself caused the prophets to consider humans as impure(in a lie to keep their personal powers in the covenant) because that fragment wanted to bring the humans to the ark for a pardon.
Of course that was only one of the fragments. There are some theories that the ancient evil in Halo 4 would be a fragment that is still on the Flood's side.
What happened to OB is unknown.

Source: Halo encyclopedia

[Edited on 07.27.2011 11:01 AM PDT]

  • 07.27.2011 10:50 AM PDT

"Don't mistake your rank and number for superiority.
The oldest child may learn from the youngest."

Posted by: Omega Ultimus
Mendicant Bias "technically" went rampant (though not through the normal way of gaining too much knowledge, that's impossible for MB). He was convinced by the Gravemind that beings like them (AI's and the Flood), are the next step of evolution in the universes natural ebb and flow of species. Even though I don't know all of the facts on MB's assimilation, I know that he helped the Gravemind destroy most of the Forerunner worlds and people. Eventually, after the final battle between MB and Offensive Bias, OB is considered the victor, yet the terminal doesn't describe the fate of either. However, it's assumed that MB is still alive, since his transmission in the terminals...which you'll have to read yourself to make your final conclusions. I'm not sure if you know this already, so excuse me if I just lectured you on something that has already been made apparent. Thanks.

Yeah I've read most of that from various sources but thanks for your contribution.

Posted by: HeyBlade789
It will be interesting to see if they include rampancy, it might be a bit too complex for new gamers.

True, but I hope they do anyway. I know Bungie has chosen to stay away from topics that are too confusing (like separatist and loyalist Hunters) and I think 343 will do the same. I read somewhere that players won't have to have played the previous trilogy to understand the upcoming one, but we'll see.

  • 07.27.2011 10:52 AM PDT
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Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?


Posted by: AlkkaPWN
Posted by: Onyx81
Posted by: AlkkaPWN
What's wrong with Halopedia?[/quote]Because it can be edited by anyone and a large portion of it is speculation and guesses.[/quote]
So, just games and books? I seem to have hit a wall because of all the conflicting canon.
Well, me and a group of other Halopedians are working on getting another Halo website up similar to Halopedian, with correct facts. I don't mind if people use it. Grey just becomes paranoid about it. I feel that enough of it is correct, but others feel it needs to be perfected.

Sounds interesting, can you give me a link? I can tell Grey gets upset and I'm sorry about that. Its just hard to tell what is true and what is false.


which is why i get mad. i am upset at the admins for not maintaining the site properly not so much the people that use it.

I use it all the time, difference is i know that the covenant and UNSC didn't create the bubble shield (which halopedian says)

  • 07.27.2011 11:20 AM PDT

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