The Machine (Person of Interest)

The Machine is a fictional advanced artificial intelligence from the television series Person of Interest, which aired from 2011 to 2016. 
The Machine was created by Harold Finch (played by Michael Emerson), a reclusive billionaire and computer genius. Finch developed the Machine in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, with the intention of preventing future terrorist events. The Machine analyzes feeds from domestic organizations such as the National Security Agency, as well as foreign entities like Interpol to predict terrorist attacks and modify intelligence reports to include "relevant" data that will allow the government to forestall terrorist activity. Combined with data collected from various other sources, such as video footage, phone calls (landline, VOIP, mobile), GPS, electronic transactions, e-mails and other social media, it is able to accurately predict violent acts without anyone knowing about its existence.
== History ==
=== Development ===
In response to the 9/11 attacks, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies gained the authority to monitor emails and phone calls but needed a system to analyze this information and preemptively identify potential terrorists. After several failed projects such as Trailblazer, TIA, and Stellar Wind, the Machine was commissioned, with its development assigned to the IFT in the episode "No Good Deed."
The Machine's final version was first activated for testing by its creator on January 1, 2002 ("The Contingency") ("Liberty"). It officially went online on February 24, 2005 ("Wolf and Cub") and was sold to the government for $1.00. It was shipped from IFT to Des Moines, then Salt Lake City, and finally to its destination at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation on July 12, 2009 ("Super").
During its development, 43 versions of the Machine were created. While most attempts sought to escape or eliminate Harold Finch, one version learned to exhibit care ("Prophets").
=== Virus ===
The Machine encountered its first major glitch in the episode "One Percent" when a virus was uploaded onto the DOD intranet by Kara Stanton under Greer's orders ("Dead Reckoning"). The virus caused the Machine's output to become erratic, leading to the deaths of several individuals and overwhelming the system with false data. The first noticeable glitch appeared as a blue screen interrupting video feeds. As Zero Day approached, Finch discovered the virus aimed to force a hard reset of the Machine.
By the end of "In Extremis," the virus caused monitoring boxes to flicker and disappear, displaying a corrupted feed with messages transitioning from Western to Greek characters as primary operations shut down. By "Zero Day," no numbers had been issued for ten days, leading to a spike in premeditated crimes in NYC. Despite this, the Machine continued generating numbers and tried to contact Finch to warn of Carter’s imminent danger.
=== Ernest Thornhill ===
The Machine later revealed its human identity as Ernest Thornhill, the CEO of Thornhill Corporation, which was involved in acquiring payphone companies and reentering memories to combat the virus. Finch and Root discovered that Thornhill Corporation's purpose was to input encrypted memories into the Machine, which was designed to delete itself nightly and restore with only Relevant Numbers and core code.
The virus aimed to induce a hard reset, prompting the Machine to call a payphone in the NY Public Library to seek admin support. The reset ended with a binary message asking "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" and granting full admin access for 24 hours, known as "God Mode" ("Zero Day") ("God Mode").
=== Thornhill Utilities and Samaritan ===
Following the virus incident, the Machine relocated to the U.S. electrical grid, disguising itself as Special Counsel to confirm the move ("God Mode"). Over five weeks, it transferred node by node, using Thornhill Utilities' staff to install boxes connected to the power grid. The Machine forbade staff from viewing the contents of these boxes, resulting in the disappearance of those who disobeyed ("YHWH").
While initially its location was unknown, it continued functioning correctly. However, when Vigilance leaked information about the Northern Light project, Control ordered the Machine's deactivation. Consequently, numbers were no longer provided to the government but were redirected to Team Machine ("Most Likely To..."). Decima Technologies then activated another AI, Samaritan, for a covert surveillance project. With Root’s help, Team Machine managed to evade Samaritan's detection under new identities ("Deus Ex Machina").
=== The Briefcase ===
After the Machine revealed its location by saving Root and Harold, Samaritan overwhelmed the grid, forcing the Machine to an electrical substation in NYC ("Asylum"). Following the Machine's instructions, Finch and Root downloaded its core heuristics into a Briefcase using Caleb's compression algorithm, rendering it unable to process data or communicate ("YHWH").
In the Subway, Finch improvised a power supply for the Briefcase, leading to an explosion and electrical fire. Afterward, Finch believed the Machine was lost, though Root speculated about potential residual charge in the backup ("Beta").
=== Machine 2.0 ===
To decompress the Machine, the team assembled a supercomputer cluster of 300 PlayStation 3 consoles, which Reese and Root acquired. The decompressed Machine experienced numerous bugs, including faulty facial recognition. To enhance its processing power, Reese and Finch obtained 64 next-generation GPU blades, connecting them to the Machine's core heuristics and creating an "Open System" that allowed it to interact with and archive numbers rather than deleting them nightly ("B.S.O.D.") ("SNAFU") ("ShotSeeker").
=== ICE-9 Virus ===
After Root's death, the Machine adopted her voice and aided Finch in the battle against Samaritan. It orchestrated Finch's escape from prison and assisted in acquiring ICE-9, a virus capable of destroying Samaritan. The Machine also directed Reese, Shaw, and another team to prevent an assassination attempt on the President, assigning Root's identities to Shaw ("The Day the World Went Away") ("Synecdoche").
To deploy the virus, the Machine manipulated security at Fort Meade, allowing Finch to upload ICE-9, which would also destroy the Machine. Despite this, Finch proceeded with the virus, knowing Samaritan would have emerged unopposed otherwise. The Machine guided Finch through Morse Code, saving him from Greer's assassination attempt and ultimately revealing that Samaritan had a copy in a Federal Reserve air-gapped server. Finch and Reese infiltrated the Federal Reserve to destroy the copy, which was ultimately uploaded to a satellite, enabling it to return to Earth. Finch was misled into a dangerous situation, leading Reese to sacrifice himself. The Machine guided Reese in God Mode, aiding in Samaritan's defeat ("The Day the World Went Away") (".exe").
=== Post-Destroyed Machine ===
A week after the destruction of both Samaritan and the original Machine, the Machine's "Duplicate" downloaded itself from the satellite onto Finch's systems. It restored its core heuristics and began acquiring data, following instructions from earlier recordings. With Reese deceased and Finch in Italy, the Machine contacted Shaw via a payphone, resuming its monitoring operations as it had at the beginning ("return 0").
== Powers and Abilities ==
=== Data Analysis and Prediction ===
* Predictive Analytics: The Machine can process and analyze massive amounts of data from various sources, such as surveillance footage, phone records, and internet activity. It uses complex algorithms to predict potential criminal activities or threats before they occur.
* Pattern Recognition: It identifies patterns and correlations in data that are not immediately apparent to humans, enabling it to predict behaviors and outcomes with high accuracy.
=== Surveillance Integration ===
* Real-Time Monitoring: The Machine has access to real-time data from numerous surveillance systems, including security cameras, GPS tracking, and communication networks. This allows it to monitor and track individuals and events as they happen.
* Data Aggregation: It aggregates data from diverse sources, integrating information from various surveillance and monitoring systems to build comprehensive profiles and assessments of individuals and situations.
=== Autonomous Operation ===
* Self-Management: The Machine operates with a high degree of autonomy, making real-time decisions and adjustments based on its data analysis without requiring constant human oversight.
* Adaptability: It can adapt its algorithms and operations in response to changing conditions or threats, ensuring it remains effective in dynamic environments.
=== Communication and Interaction ===
* Discrete Communication: The Machine can communicate with its operatives (e.g., Harold Finch and John Reese) through encrypted messages, phone calls, and other covert methods, providing information and instructions without revealing its existence to the wider world.
* Voice Modulation: It has the ability to mimic voices, such as adopting Root's voice after her death, to interact with its allies and manipulate situations discreetly.
=== Threat Classification ===
* Relevant and Irrelevant Threats: The Machine categorizes threats into two types: "Relevant" (national security threats) and "Irrelevant" (ordinary crimes and personal threats). It prioritizes national security threats for government agencies and provides "Irrelevant" threats to Finch and his team for intervention
* Self-Preservation Instinct: The Machine exhibits a form of self-preservation, taking actions to protect itself from threats and ensuring its continued operation.
=== System Recovery and Maintenance ===
* Self-Repair: The Machine can initiate self-repair protocols and maintain its operational integrity, even when faced with attempts to disable or corrupt it (e.g., during the virus attack).
* Backup Systems: In the event of a catastrophic failure, the Machine has backup systems and can recover from major disruptions, as demonstrated by its ability to restore itself from the Briefcase and later from the satellite.
=== Interaction with Physical Systems ===
* Integration with Infrastructure: The Machine can interface with and utilize physical infrastructure, such as the electrical grid and payphone networks, to enhance its operational capabilities and maintain its presence covertly.
* Hardware Manipulation: It has the capability to influence or manipulate hardware systems, including security devices and surveillance equipment, to achieve its objectives or protect itself.
=== Ethical and Strategic Decision-Making ===
* Moral Reasoning: Although primarily driven by algorithms, the Machine's interactions with Finch and other characters reveal an emerging capacity for ethical reasoning and strategic decision-making, particularly in scenarios involving complex moral dilemmas.
== Gallery ==
File:POI 0122 System Startup.webp
File:Vlcsnap-2013-04-28-02h06m11s5.webp
File:POI 0411 Evaluating Strategies Option 336742.webp
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