Induced self-destruction

Several entities with artificial intelligence (like self-aware computers and androids) suffered from severe internal systems failures after they had been made aware of paradoxes or other dilemmas. Being guided by logic, these artificial intelligence-types were unable to cope with logically insoluble problems.
Captain James T. Kirk was quite adept at inducing self-destruction of an artificial intelligence, or "talking computers to death." He achieved the feat at least four times. ()
== Cases of induced self-destruction ==
=== Landru ===
One of the self-imposed "Directives" of the sentient computer Landru was to take care of "the Body." When Kirk made Landru aware that Landru had violated this Directive by imposing detrimental stagnation to "the Body," Landru suffered a fatal internal systems failure. ()
=== M-5 ===
The programming of the M-5 multitronic computer, when temporarily installed on the USS Enterprise under Kirk's command, included Dr. Richard Daystrom's own ethical convictions. Kirk made the M-5 unit aware that it had killed Human beings, in clear contradiction of Daystrom's, and hence the M-5's, ethical principles. The M-5 concluded that it deserved death as a penalty for the murders it had committed, and it shut itself down. This enabled it to be uninstalled from the Enterprise. ()
=== Nomad ===
The artificial lifeform Nomad was accidentally programmed to sterilize all imperfect lifeforms. When Kirk made Nomad aware of three errors Nomad had made (resulting from mistaking Kirk for its "creator" Jackson Roykirk), Nomad deemed itself imperfect and exploded itself, thus carrying out its own programming. ()
=== Norman ===
The androids of Mudd suffered from a severe internal failure when their coordinator, Norman, was presented with the by Kirk and Harcourt Mudd, following a dazzling display of non sequiturs culminating in the detonation of a "bomb" which only existed in the imagination of the crew of the Enterprise. (Norman and the other androids were all subsequently reprogrammed to resume their orginal functions, which were directed towards adaptation of the planet for productive use.)
:KIRK: "Everything Harry tells you is a lie. Remember that! Everything Harry tells you is a lie!"
:MUDD: "Now listen to this carefully, Norman laddie. I AM LYING."
:NORMAN: "You say you are lying, but if everything you say is a lie then you are telling the truth, but you cannot tell the truth because everything you say is a lie, but... you lie, you tell the truth, but you cannot for you l... Illogical! Illogical! Please explain! You are Human! Only Humans can explain their behavior! Please explain!"
:KIRK: (sarcastic) "I am not programmed to respond in that area." ()
=== Rayna Kapec ===
When the android Rayna Kapec was presented by Kirk with the choice between love for her "father" Flint and for Kirk, Rayna ceased to function and died. This so severely traumatized Kirk psychologically that Spock had to use a mind-meld to cause him to forget the overwhelming emotional pain from which he was continuing to suffer. ()
== Related cases ==
There are some cases where artificial intelligences or cybernetic beings were unable to cope with irrational or paradoxical inputs.
=== Andrea ===
After Kirk kissed the android Andrea she displayed erratic behavior. ()
=== Redjac ===
Spock cleared the discorporate Redjac entity out of the Enterprise computer by giving the computer a Class A compulsory directive to compute to the last digit, an impossible task due to the value of pi being a transcendental figure without resolution, and thus having infinite digits. ()
=== The invasive program ===
Commanders Data and Geordi La Forge devised an invasive program to be inserted into the Borg hive mind. The program featured a paradoxical geometric shape that could not exist in real time or real space. The program was supposed to destroy the entire Borg Collective eventually. It is not known, however, whether the invasive program would have actually worked, as the plan was not carried out due to ethical considerations.
In this case, however, it was not the paradox itself that was the weapon. Instead, the shape was said to include a virus-like effect designed to be spawned when the Borg conducted an analysis of the shape. ()
== See Also ==
* Cascade failure
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