The Sweetie Bot Project

by Lord King Cocoon

Rating: everyone
Tags: Alternate Universe, Original Character, Science Fiction, Human, Sweetie Belle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 4076

A team of alleged scientists build a robot modelled after Sweetie Belle from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. They also develop an AI modelled off of Sweetie Belle. What is life? And can true life arise from a computer program?

Inspired by the Sweetie Bot Project, a team of alleged scientists build a robot modeled off of a character from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. They also programmed an AI network, which is multiple AI's working together as if individual parts of a whole. The Core AI is modeled after the same pony that the robot was, and for good reason.

After finalizing the AI network, the team begin to realize just how advanced this AI program would be. Did this team develop a simulation of life so advanced that it's a perfect replication, or did they actually create new life through purely synthetic means? What even is life? And whether it's new life or just a simulation, should it actually matter? After all, what is the brain other than an organic supercomputer, and the body and organic machine?

How many people will be accepting of Sweetie Bot? How many will just disregard her as a walking talking computer? And how many people will be... more malicious?

This is a story of a fictional character made real. This is the story of a Sweetie Belle AI doing her best to find her place in a world that is not her own. This is the story of the Sweetie Bot Project.

I've never seen a Sweetie Bot story that doesn't take place in-universe. So I when a different route. I chose to make MLP a fictional Universe, and Sweetie Bot simply being based on a fictional character. This is intended to exist in the real world and as removed from fiction as possible.

This story is more or less My Little Dashie meets Sweetie-Bot Says... meets the real-world Sweetie Bot Project.

This is actually the 2nd Sweetie Bot Project I've worked on. I just forgot that I had a first one until now. Special thanks to Matthais Unidostres and their story, Low Battery for giving me the proper kick in the butt to encourage me to make this.

I am dubbing this story with the added sub-genre "Meta-Fiction". Yes, it's not an official genre, but I think it should be since other forms of official media have used a similar format. What I call Meta-Fiction is a sub-genre of Fiction that, is as close to reality as possible. The old Hercules show and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had episodes like this, where they had an episode that took place in the real world, and the show was just fiction. They both included the concept of actually writing the show. These episodes were themselves fictional. But they almost reflect what reality could've been.

In the case of my story, it's a full story with the genre of Meta-Fiction. Though it does have Sci-Fi elements to it, most of the concepts may actually be within the realm of possibility. This isn't like other Ponies IRL concepts where they come from another dimension, or just don't exist IRL. The fictional character in this case never actually leaves the fictional universe, and the AI is simply a recreation.

Published 2022-01-11 17:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2022-06-20 18:34:04 UTC

Prologue: Production Logs

Sweetie Bot Project
Date: 1/8/2022
Time: 6:41 PM EST
User: Alec Williams
File: Log Entries

Lead Programmer’s Log:
It’s a bit late in the game to be starting logs on this project like this. But it probably is a good idea to keep on record. I’m the lead programmer for the AI for this project. What we’re doing is intending to make a real-life Sweetie Belle from the cartoon show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

Did we steal the idea for this? Technically, we did, since the original Sweetie Bot Project was doing the same thing. We just ripped off the name and did the same thing. But they did make the programming for their previous model public.

The AI that I designed is in fact a network of multiple AIs working together. We’re trying to make the AI as lifelike as we can. And to do so would require far more than what a single AI can achieve. Similar to how different parts of the brain have different functions.

So now that you know about my AI network, let me explain how I attempt to accurately replicate Sweetie Belle. It’s not that complicated to explain. There is one AI component that without it, the rest of the network is just a blank slate. This “Core AI” is designed to analyze the show, the comics, and other official works to get a proper idea of what Sweetie Belle’s personality as well as memories. I also made sure to include that if the other content contradicts the show, the show is to be taken as the official source. I’m not quite sure how well this will work though. But I have high hopes.

The Core AI will function similarly as the equivalent of conscious memory. There are also different AIs for Emotion Simulation, Motor Control, Sensory Translation, etc. I’ve also been interacting with the AI network myself as a way to get the network to learn beyond just what the show has to offer. I left most of the other AIs off for this process. It was for basic functions after all. After today, I will plan on fully connecting the AI network.

Our project is nearing its completion, and I am giddy about it. If we had started about a month earlier, this could result in a great Christmas gift.

Sweetie Bot Project
Date: 1/8/2022
Time: 7:25 PM EST
User: Kieth Andrews
File: Log Entries

Lead Engineer’s Log:
I’m sure my colleague addressed what it is we’re doing as well as the details on the programming side of things. So I’m here to address the details involving the ins and outs of the more physical aspects of the Sweetie Bot Project.

Let’s start with memory storage. The AI network that the programming team is developing is the software. The CPU we’ve made is the hardware. This is composed of the Random Access Memory (RAM) drive, which will act as an analog of the short-term memory. Then we have the Solid State Drive (hard drive), which will act as the long-term memory. During the day, the unit will collect data that will be temporarily stored in the RAM. During the unit’s Sleep Mode, the data stored in the RAM will be filtered to keep important data while removing unnecessary data before being transferred to the hard drive. This will allow for the conservation of memory space as well as simulate how the human brain stores memories.

In order to simulate other senses like touch, taste, and smell, we’ve developed a mesh material using nanotechnology. This mesh is composed of interconnected nanobots with touch-sensitive receptors to simulate the sense of touch. This same nanomesh is also used on the tongue and in the nose to detect certain chemical compounds to simulate taste and smell.

The eyes are simply cameras. The unit processes the two images it receives and combines them into one to replicate stereoscopic vision.

Like the eyes, the ears are simple. Two microphones to provide stereoscopic sound, as well as the ability to swive to hone into the direction, as well as to emote, as Alec pointed out.

Other details that allow the simulation of life while still being functional includes drinking water to act as a coolant to the internal systems, a “heart” to pump the coolant throughout the unit, breathing for circulation, removal of carbon dioxide produced by the internal mechanics, as well as a secondary cooling system, eating as a way to refuel the internal battery, and… expelling of waste products as a way to remove food that the battery can’t take advantage of and the removal of old water to avoid stagnation as well as a secondary CO2 removal system.

And all this in the form of a pony to the proper scale as expected in the show, a robotic endoskeletal structure, and a rubber outer shell interlaced with the nanomesh.

As for the nanomesh, each individual nanobot acts as a node that acts as touch receptors. As a network, they all can intercommunicate with each other. This means that when individuals are damaged, the surrounding nanobots can repair them, or replace even replace them by building new nanobots if sufficient materials are present. This can potentially simulate reproduction on a micro-scale.

I believe I’ve said enough to end it here.

Loading Sweetie Bot Project
Loading Complete
Open Sweetie Bot Project Y/N
Y
Opening Sweetie Bot Project

I woke up one day. The first thing I noticed was that I couldn’t see or hear anything. I also noticed that I couldn’t feel or move my body.

Accessing Speakers
Access Granted

“Hello? Is anypony there?” I asked. It was odd, because I didn’t feel like I moved my mouth. Was it because I couldn’t feel my body? “I can’t feel my body! I can’t see or hear! Am I dead?!”

Allow access to Microphone
Allow access to camera

“Can you hear me now?” I heard the voice of a stallion say. Somepony’s there.

“Yes, I can hear you. Where are you?” I asked.

“Try to… open your eyes,” the stallion said. Why did what he say sound so odd?

Accessing Camera
Access Granted

I open my eyes… I think. It didn’t feel right, and not just because I couldn’t feel my body. It was like my eyes were open the whole time and someone just turned on the light. What I saw…

“MONSTER!!!” I screamed.

“I’m not a monster, I promise,” the monster said, “I’m a human. My name is Alec. And you…”

That pause was unnerving, but I didn’t know why, “I’m what?”

“You were seriously hurt after coming through some sort of portal,” the mons…

New Data Available
Subject: Alec…Human…Male

…the human, Alec, said, “We’re here to help to cure you.”

“A portal? Where am I?” I asked, “I can’t move or feel my body! Will I ever be able to walk again?! Am I gonna be a cripple?!”

“Please calm down. You’ll be okay,” Alec said, “To answer your questions in order, yes. Geneseo, New York, United States of America, planet Earth. We’ve numbed it for your benefit. We’re working on… healing you. If everything goes according to plan, no.”

“If I went through a portal to another planet, will I be able to get back home?” I asked “Will I be able to see my friends and my sister again?”

Alec said nothing. But the look on his face said it all.

“I’m stuck here, aren’t I?” I asked.

“We don’t know,” Alec said, “A portal opening up to another world and a pony coming through is unprecedented. If there’s a way to send you home, we don’t know how to do it.”

When I heard that, I wanted to cry. But I couldn’t. Why couldn’t I cry?

“You said ‘we’. Are there more of you?” I asked.

“Yes there is,” Alec answered, “I’m part of a team who’s working on you. I’ll introduce you to them later. But right now, I need to put you back to sleep so we can continue working on you. Is that alright?”

“I guess so.”

“Alright. Good night.”

“Good night.”

End Process Sweetie Bot Project

I then felt myself fall asleep.

Sweetie Bot Project Deactivated

Sweetie Bot Project
Date: 1/10/2022
Time: 4:46 PM EST
User: Alec Williams
File: Log Entries

Lead Programmer’s Log:
An interesting occurrence… well… occurred with the Sweetie Bot Project AI. Yesterday, I had finalized the AI network. But today, the AI actually activated itself. Normally, I have to activate the AI manually. But it seems that it became advanced enough to simulate self-awareness. That is, assuming it was a simulation. As a scientist, I shouldn’t assume that it was anything more than a simulation. But as a person, I witnessed a scared little filly, Sweetie Belle. She was scared, confused, and alone. I know I designed the AI to be as similar to Sweetie Belle as can be. But should I be susceptible to caring for an AI like that?

Not only did the AI network activate on its own, it was also able to gain access to the speakers in order to communicate with us. I had to personally grant access to the mic and camera. But perhaps the AI could’ve accessed them on its own as well. Perhaps I should’ve let it try.

I feel slightly guilty for lying to her though. I know that sounds silly. But I’m not sure how she would’ve handled the truth. I know she’s just an AI. But it’s still an AI modeled after a child. And I don’t know if a child could accept the truth of her existence, let alone comprehend it. I intend on fixing that in the future. But for now, most of it was only half-truths and lies of omission and technicalities. Her being hurt and why she was numb were clearly lies. Her coming through a portal and us healing her were technicalities. They can be interpreted as metaphorical. The “portal” that she came through could be seen as us bringing a Pony from My Little Pony into this world as an AI. And us “healing” her could be interpreted as us building her a body. I will acknowledge that I’m making excuses, but I stand by them nonetheless.

But if I truly have made an AI network advanced enough to be self-aware, that could revolutionize computer technology as we know it. But it also brings up the question… is it ethical? How many people would accept AIs as having the same rights as us? Would they have the same rights as us? And if not, would that bring about a machine uprising similar to Terminator or The Matrix? Personally, I believe that AIs deserve as much respect as we humans do. Simply put, there are two questions that I believe have diametrically opposed answers. Will AI be treated differently than human sapience? I believe the answer is yes. Should AI be treated differently than human sapience? No. Granted, perhaps the first answer will match the second answer with time. But a lot of religious fanatics will either disregard it or accuse us of playing gods in an attempt to create life. Scientists will see it as a significant advancement in technology… but nothing more. There likely won’t be many people who believe that there’s not much more difference between a synthetic computer and an organic computer.

Artificial intelligence is still intelligence after all. So why can’t artificial life still be life?

One question keeps popping up in my mind though. Why did it take a day after finalization before the AI network was able to activate itself? I would’ve thought that if it were going to activate itself as it did, it would’ve been immediately after finalizing the network. Perhaps the AI is advanced enough that it had to stay in its sleep mode before properly activating in order to simulate… Of course! Perhaps the AI is so advanced that it actually thought that it was asleep. That would mean that even now before we’ve uploaded the AI into the android body, even while in sleep mode, the AI is already learning without outside input. If that’s the case, then this truly is revolutionary. It’s both invigorating and slightly frightening if I’m to be honest. Let’s just hope that our work doesn’t result in Terminator becoming a prophetic movie.

In the wrong hands, this technology can be very dangerous. Then again, maybe I watch too many sci-fi movies.

“Are you sure we should continue? It’s already growing beyond our control.”

“If the AI is supposed to simulate life, then isn’t that what’s supposed to do? Besides, if things get too out of control, we can still shut her down. I would just prefer that that be if there is no other possible option.”

“That’s reasonable. I’m just afraid that you may be growing to emotionally attached. You’re calling it a ‘she’ after all.”

“And why shouldn’t I call it a she? I’ll admit to the fact that I’m emotionally attached. But I still stand by my opinion that a fully functional AI intended to replicate life deserves the same respect that we would give anyone else. If an AI program is designed to replicate the cognitive processes of the brain, how does that make it any different than an actual brain aside from the organic component? Isn’t that just what our brains are? Just organic supercomputers?”

“Okay, okay. I get it. I just wanted to be sure. I know that all those movies about a robot apocalypse are just fictional too. But you never know.”

“Movies like that also usually have the humans treating the machines as tools rather than the same respect as we give each other. And as a note about Terminator, that movie was originally the result of a fever dream.”

“Well, as long as you’re sure…wait, Terminator was the result of a fever dream?”

Author's Note

I've been trying to think of a Sweetie Bot story idea for a while now. When I came up with this idea, I saw that I already had an idea in my Google Docs. I may make that at another time. But for now, this is what I bring you.

This format is just for the Prologue. The last scene is the transition into the normal format of the rest of the story will be in.

I'd like to clear up a few things about the Scene with the AI "waking up". The underlined sections in green are the computer commands. I don't know enough about programming to make it look as such, so I chose a format similar to those old text-based computer games. The lines that begin with the ">" symbol are the AI inputs. The lines without them are manually inputted by the human. I wanted to attempt what looks like programming commands without the AI realizing it's an AI.

Another difference about this story is that rather than Sweetie Belle discovering she's a robot and going on a journey to learn what she is, or just starting with the knowledge of being an robot, I'm removing the mystery. And as a slight spoiler in the next chapter, Sweetie Belle will be told that she's a robot. As the premise states, the idea is to make Sweetie Belle a fictional character and Sweetie Bot is just a recreation.

Chapter 1: System Activated

“Motor functions?” a man with a checklist asked. He was a man in his mid-30s, tall, with short hair and “slightly” balding, with aviator-style glasses, a mustache, and a soul patch beard with a 5-o’clock shadow. He had the “beginnings” of a beer belly, but otherwise nothing special about his physique. He was Alec Williams, the lead programmer who developed the idea of an IA network to better replicate sentience and sapience.

One of the team members tested the motor functions of the unit, “Motor functions, check.”

“Nanomesh reactivity?” Alec asked one of the engineers.

The engineer in question tested the membrane that was to act as skin, “Nanomesh reactivity, check.”

“CPU ready for AI upload?” Alec asked the lead engineer, Kieth Andrews. Kieth was the same height as Alec. He has dark hair, a goatee, and is in significantly better shape than Alec.

“CPU ready for AI upload, check,” Kieth confirmed.

“Then if we’re ready, I can start uploading the AI network into the unit,” Alec said as he got onto the computer, “Uploading in 3… 2… 1… now!”

The AI network began uploading into the Sweetie Bot unit.

…

…They waited…

…and waited…

…and nothing happened.

“Since it will take a few hours for the AI to upload, anyone here up for some lunch?” Alec asked.

It had been five hours since lunch. The team was now actually considering dinner now. Thankfully, Alec had gotten enough pizza to cover dinner.

“Was that countdown earlier necessary?” one of the mechanics asked, “I mean, a countdown would imply the activation of Sweetie Bot, not the beginning of an upload that would take several hours.”

“I suppose not,” Alec admitted, “But I wanted a countdown. And it’s not like I could predict how long the upload would take in order to start a-”

A notification sound was heard on the computer which caused everyone to go silent. A notification indicating that the upload process was complete.

Now was the time to see if the team’s time and hard work had paid off. They all surrounded the mechanical body, though the team leaders were making sure to give Sweetie Bot space to not overwhelm her. So the team leaders and a few others stayed there while the rest of the team headed to another room to watch the events on camera.

They stood there, waiting for a reaction from Sweetie Bot to indicate that it was a success. Everyone was beginning to worry when there was no response…

…Then she opened her eyes.

Before anyone could say anything, she brought her hoof to her face to rub her eyes. And immediately, she saw that her hoof was mechanical. She began panicking as she checked the rest of her body, seeing the mechanic components all over.

“W-What’s going on?! Why do I have gears?! What happened?!” Sweetie Belle asked in rapid-fire as she continued to panic.

“Hey, hey. You’re okay. Everything’s okay,” Alec said. Sweetie Belle looked up and saw him. She recognized him from before, “We were hoping to explain this before you noticed for yourself. But… well… you…”

As Alec tried to figure out how to word what he wanted to say, the lead mechanic stepped up, “We weren’t able to salvage your organic body. So we created an artificial body and transferred your mind into it,” Laura Anne, the lead mechanic said, “There was no other way to ensure your continued existence.”

Sweetie Belle calmed down. But another thought came to mind, “My body? Does that-”

“I’m sure you’re wondering if that means you’re alive or not,” Laura said, cutting Sweetie off before she could even ask, “All we can really say is that there is no simple answer to that question. We can’t really answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to that question without first bringing up the question of what defines life. So the best answer we can give at the moment is that we simply don’t know. But what matters right now isn’t whether you’re alive or not, but whether that matters as long as your mind is intact.”

Sweetie’s ears fell flat against her head. She was afraid, as to be expected. She was in a world that was unfamiliar to her with creatures equally as unfamiliar. She didn’t know if there was any way back to her home. But what really caused her fear was the lack of an answer. She was afraid of what the answer may be to the question of whether she was alive or not.

“Perhaps we should introduce ourselves,” Laura continued in an attempt to make Sweetie feel more comfortable, “My name is Laura. I’m the head mechanic who built your current body. And I suppose that would make me your ‘doctor’ if anything needs fixing. That’s Kieth, the lead engineer. He came up with the design for your body. And that’s Alec. He’s the one responsible for transferring your mind into your mechanical body and ensuring its compatibility.”

Alec noticed that Laura conveniently ‘forgot’ to include his specific role as the lead programmer. It seems that she was better at lies of omission than he was. But considering the situation, he wasn’t complaining.

“So what is your name,” Laura asked, feigning ignorance. Like everyone on the team, they all knew the answer. But Laura put in an effort to allow Sweetie Belle to believe that we were strangers. Granted, she didn’t know who they were, and they didn’t know Sweetie personally. So they were still technically strangers.

“Sweetie Belle,” Sweetie said.

“Well, Sweetie Belle, it’s nice to meet you,” Laura said with a smile, “Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?”

“I-If I’m a robot, why would I be hungry?” Sweetie Belle asked, “Would I even need to eat?”

“Your body was designed to replicate normal functions of a living body,” Laura answered, “That includes the capability of converting foods into fuel. You don’t necessarily need to eat. But it’s a way of recharging your battery without actually having to plug into an electrical socket,” this explanation caused Sweetie Belle to feel depressed, “In other words, you need to eat for the same reason anyone else would need to eat.”

As Laura was talking with Sweetie Belle, including offering to get something to eat, Kieth left the room to address the rest of the team, “Okay, I’m sure you all know this. But Sweetie Belle isn’t aware that she’s an AI based on a fictional character,” Kieth explained, “For this reason, we’d prefer it if you allow her to continue to believe that. That includes not letting her know that we know who she is or letting her know about the show. So any of you who have any Sweetie Belle plushies, put them away now.”

“With how you’re calling her ‘she’ instead of ‘it’ or ‘unit’ shows that you’ve apparently accepted her as more than just an AI,” one of the team members said.

“I’m still under the position that she’s still just an AI,” Kieth said, “But that doesn’t mean I don’t acknowledge something that Alec said. Does it matter whether she’s an AI or not? And should it matter? At least when addressing the unit directly, no it does not. Besides, how many of you have referred to inanimate objects, like cars or boats or other vehicles with feminine pronouns?”

“I actually call my truck a ‘he’,” another team member said, “Simply put, if you can call vehicles ‘she’, why can’t you call them ‘he’? Equal opportunity after all.”

“There are also AIs like Siri, Alexa, and Cortana, and we refer to them as feminine,” another member said.

“The point is that as much as I hate lying, we’re to allow Sweetie Belle to believe that she’s more than just an AI,” Kieth repeated, “Laura is currently talking with her. It’s a bit disturbing how good she is at lying, but I digress. They’ll be coming out soon to eat. I’m sure that a lot of you are eager to interact with Sweetie Belle. But to avoid overwhelming her, let her come to you.”

“Can we assume that this is confirmation that the project was a success?”

“It’s looking good,” Kieth answered, “However, we have yet to do proper tests. We’ll do that after dinner. For now, just let Sweetie Belle adjust.”

The rest of the team offered their agreements before the other two team leaders came out with Sweetie Bot. Many of the team members were expectantly excited to see that their project was a success. But they had enough self-control to not just rush at her, one of them putting away a familiar-looking plushy.

Author's Note

Sorry for the long wait. Especially for such a short chapter. But the combination of having multiple projects to work on as well as life in general has put this story as well as another on a backburner.

But I hope this will at least hold you over for now.