Operator (Ghost in the Shell)
Encyclopedia
An is a fictional class of robot
in the Ghost in the Shell
series. They are voiced by Eri Oono and Debra Jean Rogers.
, such as operating computers, carrying equipment within the agency's building, and even crewing aircraft. Physically they are gynoid
s, seen wearing office lady
-style suits. In one episode, additional Operators are seen coming out of the walls to replace disabled units during a particularly strenuous task, suggesting that Section 9 has many in backup and that the units are switched regularly.
Their physical appearance is of a female wearing an office lady's suit. They have brown hair tied in a pony tail with brown eyes.
They happen to be some of the most advanced Operators in the series besides Proto who is a prototype bioroid.
s, typically human reactions (one is quoted as saying "Huh?" and looking confused when she is told to pick up a person who has left the scene suddenly and is no longer in sight) and human-like body language
. Section 9's more advanced robots, the Tachikoma
s, comment on these as looking "fake", especially a "thinking pose" one Operator assumes when trying to answer a question. Because of the Operators' willingness to be put in danger by the members of Section 9, they receive scorn from the Tachikomas, who are developing individuality and possibly even their own ghosts (nerve center that communicates with the soul: the intact function of this area is required for the survival of an organism as a person).
The Operators appear to have no combat capabilities of their own, though they are used as a diversion in the episode Cash Eye when two units are sent into the basement to distract the guards while a disk of knockout-gas is deployed from the elevator. They have a distinctive feature (first seen in older cyberneticists unwilling to undergo brain modification, though the Operators utilize them as an added layer of defense against computer viruses): hands that can deploy a considerable number of internal rod-like "fingers", letting them type many times faster than normal. This feature however only appears to be used during particularly-demanding tasks. On the other hand the Operators seen in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
seem to be a newer model which do not use the rod-like "fingers" as much since they type fast enough.
Despite being very advanced androids, the AI
of the Operators is also limited. In one episode, the Tachikomas argue with one Operator. She displays emotion and other aspects of intelligence, but falls prey to the classic liar paradox
of What I am saying is a lie. The result was that the Operator seized up, locked into an infinite loop
of repeating "I, um..." This is similar to the classic Star Trek
episode "I, Mudd", in which a human defeats robotic units with the same paradox. The Artificial Intelligence of the Tachikomas, by comparison, is enough to both solve this paradox and state it to others.
Section 9 is not the only organization to use Operators. Multiple agencies use Operators that look different from the ones used at Section 9, such as the JMSDF. JMSDF Operator models have black untied hair and brown eyes, and have the assigned rank of Chief Petty Officer. The JGSDF uses an Operator model with short brown hair, brown eyes and glasses, with an assigned rank of Private First Class. The Prefectural Police Operators have long brown hair and wear a standard policewoman's uniform, with a rank of Constable.
Military Operators are more advanced than civilian service models, but appear to be less mentally 'capable' than those of Section 9. An example of this was the failure of JMSDF Operators to respond quickly to changes in pilot health & eventual death during a Jigabachi hijack incident. Generally speaking, military and government models are more advanced than civilian models, however.
Operator-like gynoids have been observed, examples of which include maids, prostitutes, and nurses etc. Wealthy individuals often have nurse corps (multiple identicals) configured to a personally attractive form, which in turn are often personally erotic.
Some operator types may be either legally or illegally modified to contain site-protection weapon systems. Their use is questionably effective, as internal AI conflict latency will often give an even mildly determined intruder the upper hand in armed confrontations.
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
in the Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell
is a Japanese multimedia franchise composed of manga, animated films, anime series, video games and novels. It focuses on the activities of the counter-terrorist organization Public Security Section 9 in a futuristic, cyberpunk Japan ....
series. They are voiced by Eri Oono and Debra Jean Rogers.
Bio
The Operators are designed to handle various tasks within the government agency Public Security Section 9Public Security Section 9
is a fictional intelligence department from Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell anime and manga series. In the story, it exists under the Japanese Ministry of Home Affairs. In some translations, the name is given as Public Safety Section 9...
, such as operating computers, carrying equipment within the agency's building, and even crewing aircraft. Physically they are gynoid
Gynoid
A gynoid is anything which resembles or pertains to the female human form. It is also used in American English medical terminology as a shortening of the term Gynecoid ....
s, seen wearing office lady
Office lady
An office lady, often abbreviated OL , is a female office worker in Japan who performs generally pink collar tasks such as serving tea and secretarial or clerical work. Like many unmarried Japanese, OLs often live with their parents well into early adulthood...
-style suits. In one episode, additional Operators are seen coming out of the walls to replace disabled units during a particularly strenuous task, suggesting that Section 9 has many in backup and that the units are switched regularly.
Their physical appearance is of a female wearing an office lady's suit. They have brown hair tied in a pony tail with brown eyes.
They happen to be some of the most advanced Operators in the series besides Proto who is a prototype bioroid.
Features
Operator units are programmed with human-like emotions, including voice inflectionInflection
In grammar, inflection or inflexion is the modification of a word to express different grammatical categories such as tense, grammatical mood, grammatical voice, aspect, person, number, gender and case...
s, typically human reactions (one is quoted as saying "Huh?" and looking confused when she is told to pick up a person who has left the scene suddenly and is no longer in sight) and human-like body language
Body language
Body language is a form of non-verbal communication, which consists of body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements. Humans send and interpret such signals almost entirely subconsciously....
. Section 9's more advanced robots, the Tachikoma
Tachikoma
A is a fictional artificial intelligence, walker/roller in the Ghost in the Shell universe; appearing in the manga, created by Masamune Shirow, and the Stand Alone Complex sub-universe. Nine of them are assigned to Section 9's use originally. They are spider like multi-legged combat vehicles,...
s, comment on these as looking "fake", especially a "thinking pose" one Operator assumes when trying to answer a question. Because of the Operators' willingness to be put in danger by the members of Section 9, they receive scorn from the Tachikomas, who are developing individuality and possibly even their own ghosts (nerve center that communicates with the soul: the intact function of this area is required for the survival of an organism as a person).
The Operators appear to have no combat capabilities of their own, though they are used as a diversion in the episode Cash Eye when two units are sent into the basement to distract the guards while a disk of knockout-gas is deployed from the elevator. They have a distinctive feature (first seen in older cyberneticists unwilling to undergo brain modification, though the Operators utilize them as an added layer of defense against computer viruses): hands that can deploy a considerable number of internal rod-like "fingers", letting them type many times faster than normal. This feature however only appears to be used during particularly-demanding tasks. On the other hand the Operators seen in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
is an anime television series produced by Production I.G and based on Masamune Shirow's manga Ghost in the Shell. It was written and directed by Kenji Kamiyama, with original character design by Hajime Shimomura and a soundtrack by Yoko Kanno...
seem to be a newer model which do not use the rod-like "fingers" as much since they type fast enough.
Despite being very advanced androids, the AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
of the Operators is also limited. In one episode, the Tachikomas argue with one Operator. She displays emotion and other aspects of intelligence, but falls prey to the classic liar paradox
Liar paradox
In philosophy and logic, the liar paradox or liar's paradox , is the statement "this sentence is false"...
of What I am saying is a lie. The result was that the Operator seized up, locked into an infinite loop
Infinite loop
An infinite loop is a sequence of instructions in a computer program which loops endlessly, either due to the loop having no terminating condition, having one that can never be met, or one that causes the loop to start over...
of repeating "I, um..." This is similar to the classic Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
episode "I, Mudd", in which a human defeats robotic units with the same paradox. The Artificial Intelligence of the Tachikomas, by comparison, is enough to both solve this paradox and state it to others.
Other Operators
Military Operators are more advanced than civilian service models, but appear to be less mentally 'capable' than those of Section 9. An example of this was the failure of JMSDF Operators to respond quickly to changes in pilot health & eventual death during a Jigabachi hijack incident. Generally speaking, military and government models are more advanced than civilian models, however.
Operator-like gynoids have been observed, examples of which include maids, prostitutes, and nurses etc. Wealthy individuals often have nurse corps (multiple identicals) configured to a personally attractive form, which in turn are often personally erotic.
Some operator types may be either legally or illegally modified to contain site-protection weapon systems. Their use is questionably effective, as internal AI conflict latency will often give an even mildly determined intruder the upper hand in armed confrontations.