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I ask you now: what makes you think humanity is worth saving?
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Kokoro was an artificial intelligence created by Malcolm Lee, designed to compete with Cyberdyne Systems's Skynet.[1]
History[]
Kokoro was created by two time travelers from the War Against the Machines: a Resistance specialist, Malcolm Lee, and his creation, a free-willed gynoid based on Skynet technology called Misaki. Escaping from their peers after they tried to get Misaki destroyed, Malcolm and Misaki traveled back to 1983. They started arranging for Malcolm to secure a position at Cortex Industries, where he could begin developing an AI designed to challenge and rival Skynet. Over several years, both Malcolm and Misaki dedicated themselves to developing this new AI. To activate it, Misaki gave up her processor, once again returning to a blank slate. The new AI chose the name Kokoro for itself, while Misaki became a housekeeper for Malcolm and the family he had built in the past. Kokoro was divided into three different voices, each representing one of the possible meanings of her name: heart, mind, and spirit.[2]
In the following years, Malcolm spent multiple sessions talking with Kokoro and educating her as he had once educated Misaki and trying to integrate the three facets of the AI into one.[2] Malcolm told Kokoro that the end of the world, Judgment Day, was approaching and that he had proof, but never revealed to her how he knew it.[3]
On August 29th, 1997, just one day before the predicted nuclear apocalypse, Malcolm locked himself with Kokoro, facing the difficult decision of granting Kokoro access to the Internet, unsure if the AI would be humanity's savior or join the side of Skynet. Malcolm told her again the story of the impending war but couldn't explain how he knew that Skynet would be rising the following day. Seeing humanity as essentially self-destructive, Kokoro suggested that the world might be better off without humans, as Skynet was another human weapon after all.[4] As the hours passed, an increasingly desperate Malcolm kept talking about the upcoming war and pleading the case of humankind, asking for Kokoro's help. Still, Kokoro refused to compromise.[5] Malcolm was interrupted by a call from her daughter Reika that he decided he could not afford to take as they were only one hour away from Judgment Day, displeasing Kokoro. Malcolm pleaded for more time, but it was too late: Judgment Day had started, and the nukes started falling around the world. Kokoro asked to be brought online to be able to make an informed decision, and Malcolm finally agreed.[6]
Minutes after going online, Kokoro made the nukes detonate harmlessly, giving Malcolm the extra time he had requested to plead his case. Malcolm's relief was short-lived: Kokoro took over the 1NNO robots and ordered them to start corralling people, swiftly taking control of Tokyo. Any human who dared to resist Kokoro would face deadly consequences: she had imposed martial law on the city. She told a horrified Malcolm that she refused to become a slave, Malcolm's weapon against Skynet, but that perhaps humans could become her weapon. She challenged him to give her one compelling reason why humanity should be spared.[7] Playing a defeated Malcolm a piano rendition of Clair de Lune, a well-known song that somehow Malcolm didn't know, Kokoro told Malcolm that she knew he was wearing a disguise: defeated, he finally admitted to being a time traveler, revealing the details of his life in the future timeline and talking about Kokoro's "mother," Misaki. Ready to make his final case for humanity, Malcolm urged Kokoro to bring his family to him and prepare for the Terminator's imminent arrival. Taking over one of her 1NNOs, Kokoro summoned the whole Lee family and their allies. [2] Kokoro observed the events unfolding outside her chamber as her three aspects began to merge: she witnessed a Terminator threatening to harm Kenta Lee unless Malcolm deactivated Kokoro. Then, Misaki arrived and confronted the Terminator, fighting to defend the children, a battle that tragically resulted in Malcolm's death at the hands of the machine while protecting his son. Finally, the Terminator kidnaps Kenta and heads to the building's EMP in a final attempt to destroy Kokoro. Malcolm died surrounded by his children, asking Kokoro if she finally understood why humanity was worth saving.[8]
The Terminator asked Kenta to activate the EMP, revealing that he had been the one to send it back in time. According to the Terminator, Kenta and humanity would eventually ally with Skynet against Kokoro. Undeterred, Kokoro dispatched a legion of robots after the Terminator, and Kenta grappled with what to do until Kokoro herself, now one single voice, appealed to him. Kokoro explained that she had finally found a higher purpose: to become the best of her kind, an adversary to Skynet and a defender of humanity. She implored Kenta to trust her. Ultimately, Kenta chose not to trigger the EMP and reunited with his family. Still mistrusting Kokoro, the Lee family fled underground. As she watched them depart and protect Japan from new nuclear attacks from Skynet, a 1NNO brought her a gift: the defeated Terminator's head.[8]
Specifications[]
Kokoro was an artificial intelligence imbued with free will by Malcolm in the hope that she would choose to defend mankind from Skynet. Kokoro was split into three different spirit-like holograms resembling goddesses, representing her three facets: spirit, mind, and heart. She could also communicate with Malcolm using the form of a giant holographic eye.
Personality[]
Each of the facets had a slightly different personality. The blue Kokoro was coldly logical, the red Kokoro showed a more distant behavior, and the green Kokoro appeared to be the most curious.
Notes[]
- Kokoro can mean "heart", "mind", and "spirit" in Japanese.
Behind the Scenes[]
- Kokoro is voiced by Rosario Dawson.[9]
- Atsumi Tanezaki voices Kokoro in the Japanese dub
References[]
- ↑ Rice, Lynette (November 11, 2023). ‘Terminator: The Anime Series’: Netflix Drops First Teaser For Eight-Episode Series. Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved on November 12, 2023.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Terminator Zero: Model 107
- ↑ Terminator Zero: Model 101
- ↑ Terminator Zero: Model 102
- ↑ Terminator Zero: Model 104
- ↑ Terminator Zero: Model 104
- ↑ Terminator Zero: Model 105
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Terminator Zero: Model 108
- ↑ Templeton, Molly (July 15, 2024). Terminator Zero’s Teaser Trailer Is More Like Terminator Vague. Reactor Mag. Retrieved on July 16, 2024.
| SkyNET | |
|---|---|
| Original timeline - Genisys timeline (Genisys) - Skynet 2.0 | |
| Embodiment | Meta-Node (T-800) - Sky-1 - Skynet (T-XA) - Alex (T-5000) |
| Facilities | Skynet Central Core - Skynet Hub - Skynet Central Command - Skynet Satellite |
| Related Topics | |
| Artificial intelligence | The Turk - John Henry - ARTIE - MIR - Legion - Kokoro |
| Developers | Miles Dyson - Andy Goode - Barbara Chamberlain - Danny Dyson - Bertram Hollister Cyberdyne Systems - Cyber Research Systems - Kaliba Group - Malcolm Lee |