As fascinating as the Omnics are in the world of Overwatch (beyond the AI uprising cliche), I would like to know a little more about the AI who aren’t Omnics. How do they compare to the Omnics?
For easy examples, there’s Snowball and Wrecking Ball. Considering its behaviors during Rise and Shine, Snowball does appear to have its own emotions, but is it sentient on a similar level to the Omnics? As for Wrecking Ball, Micheal Chu has made it clear that it isn’t an Omnic, in fact having a very simple AI in comparison. My question is when did the Wrecking Ball we know first become a thing? Was the AI there during Hammond and Winston’s escape from the moon, or was it something that developed during Hammond’s time in Junkertown? Considering the Junkers’ views towards the machines, I think it was the former as a translator would have been helpful for both of their survival.
And then there are the God Programs, Anubis and Athena. Anubis, while has been confirmed to be different from the Omnics, but is capable of taking control of nearby Omnics for its own purposes. Maybe Anubis and programs like it were responsible for the First Omnic Crisis (I’d be willing to credit the Second to the general tensions between humanity and Omnics after the First, something similar to the rise of groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS in the Middle-East today). That brings me to Athena. While “God Programs” aren’t an official designation for AI like Anubis, why would Athena be much different as she too is a disembodies AI named after a goddess from a different pantheon? Do they both have similar origins (albeit with Athena siding with humanity)? Is the God Program designation going to be retconned much like several things have already? Are we going to be seeing more God Programs in the future?
Athena has never been called a “god program”. That designation has only been used to refer to Anubis. Athena is just the base AI for Watchpoint: Gibraltar.
“God program” is more of a colloquial term describing Anubis than a designation for a class of AIs.
Omnic is mostly a specific brand of robot that is produced in Omniums, which were made by Omnica around 40 years ago, give or take a decade. It is however used as a generic in the present for a lot of similar robots not made entirely in the factories, such as Orisa. However, there are a number of AIs and robots which, as you mentioned, are not Omnics.
Snowball
As you said, Snowball appears to be capable of its own thoughts and emotions. I would not put it below Omnics in mental complexity, based on how we have seen Snowball behave so far.
Wrecking Ball
The AI in Hammond’s ball is a simple AI. It seems to mostly translate and alert system status to Hammond. It is said he did not create it, and it does seem like its above Junkertown’s capabilities/they hate robots, so I would think it was what was used on Horizon Lunar Colony for the scientists to communicate with Hammond. But that is just my speculation.
Athena
Athena is not a god program. We do not know when she came to be, as her earliest appearance chronologically is Recall, 5 years after Overwatch shut down. Some speculate she was part of Overwatch, some do not. I am part of the camp that thinks she came to be after Overwatch. That being said, she is a very advanced AI.
Anubis
This one is a God Program, but its history is interesting. Its earliest chronological mention is being part of “The Anubis Program” which Overwatch shut down roughly a decade ago (my personal estimate is 7-8 years ago, for a specific date. After Retribution but before Uprising.) The shutdown of Anubis by Overwatch left Egypt in its state of destitution and vulnerability to organized crime. As we have seen in Mission Statement, Anubis is also advanced.
Echo
Echo is interesting because she may be an omnic, and she may not. On one hand, she has a behaviour similar to omnics, in that she is an AI in a physical humanoid body. Her difference comes in her appearance. Rather than being the cold steel with various facial lights made of simple geometry, she is a sleek white robot with a full digital face. It is worth mentioning that the OR14s were also sleek white robots, but they were lacking the full digital face. Even Orisa is just a mask with two circles for lights. Echo can be an Omnic, we don’t know yet, but I would speculate she is not.
Of the 4/5 AI mentioned, they are all incredibly complex AIs that seem to be as advanced as Omnics… Or they are Hammond’s translator. When it comes down to it, I would say the biggest difference between an Omnic and another Robot with a body is just brand association. If it looks like an Omnic™, acts like an Omnic™, and had parts made from an Omnium™, it’s probably an Omnic. But that is just my take on this.
Wrecking ball is not AI, it is VI mostly
It is an AI. Its a simple one, but is still an AI.