In the world of Mass Effect, Artificial Intelligences are seen as a danger that must be dealt with immediately. Their existence is outlawed, feared, and not tolerated by the Council. There is a huge distinction between an A.I. and a Virtual Intelligence program in this setting. VIs are just sophisticated programs that were designed to make the use of super-advanced computers simpler.

They might appear to think on their own, but this is most likely a consequence of their personality imprints. However, SAM is a self-aware, conscious computing system that is capable of thinking, making decisions, and has many compelling characteristics surrounding his existence.

10 There Are Other SAMs

When a piece of technology is good, it should not be surprising that it would be replicated. Besides the Hyperion SAM, each ark has an Artificial Intelligence with the same name. However, the Hyperion SAM is the most advanced one and also the one that has the most powerful capabilities among all SAMs.

Alec modified and upgraded Hyperion SAM separately until Hyperion’s departure. He did it without letting the Initiative know, therefore making the SAM he worked on much more evolved than the others.

9 SAM’s Creator Believed He Knew What The Quarians Did Wrong

The quarian race was constantly working with Artificial Intelligence. They created synthetic beings called Geth who eventually rebelled and banished the quarians from their homeworld. Besides that, quarians were also working on Virtual Intelligence that would mimic their ancestors’ wisdom and behavior. They were a race with quite a few interesting facts about them.

Alec believed that the fundamental mistake committed by the quarians was the lack of integration between the A.I.s and biological life. This mindset was what made his attempt to create a self-aware program that would have a symbiotic relationship with organic beings.

8 SAM Needs Humans

SAM is short for Simulative Adaptive Matrix. His existence depends on his host’s implant for it to experience the world. SAM can see and feel everything due to an implant that members of an Ark’s crew have. Because of this implant, the A.I. is within everyone’s reach. They can all communicate with the powerful self-aware synthetic that can provide perfect calculations and solutions that no human could think of or make happen without SAM’s assistance.

Hyperion’s SAM also has access to the Pathfinder’s physiology, being able to enhance perception, physical strength, and alter body behavior to a point that it would be completely impossible for a human.

7 SAM Exists Physically

The SAM-Node is basically SAM’s body. His “brain” is located at the Habitation Deck of the Hyperion, right next to Alec Ryder’s quarters. This means that the A.I. can actually be “killed” if anything happens to his hardware. SAM even shared some of his processors with his partition, SAM-E, to save energy.

All the huge room and processor walls are most likely needed to make SAM what he is: a self-aware quantum computer. It is also why SAM needs humans to see the world since even though he is so powerful and advanced, he is trapped in a room inside the ark.

6 SAM-E Was Made From SAM

Pronounced “Sammy,” SAM-E was the Simulated Adaptive Matrix, Experimental version. This version was technically the sixth SAM and had several experimental add-ons added to it. He was meant to be a safer, more versatile version of a SAM.

SAM-E is a partition of Hyperion’s SAM and has some unique capabilities. SAM-E was connected to Cora, and he could improve her senses, physical feats, and even help her accomplish things in activities that she had no prior experience with. SAM-E was also capable of correctly interpreting involuntary muscle movements 70% of the time and cataloged everything Cora felt.

5 Alec Ryder Made SAM To Cure His Wife

At some point in the game, it is revealed to the Pathfinder that Alec Ryder developed his Simulative Adaptive Matrix in order to find a cure for his beloved wife’s disease. The disease that Ellen Ryder suffered from was called AEND. It was a neurodegenerative disorder that was caused by exposure to Element Zero.

Since Alec’s wife never got better, he never got any support and spend all his money on this A.I. research, to a point that he almost had to end the project if it wasn’t for a mysterious benefactor who backed the Initiative.

4 SAM Talks Way Too Much

Ryder’s Simulative Adaptive Matrix is definitely useful, but it just won’t stop talking. Yes, he does help with situational awareness, tactical enhancements, body modifications, and so many other things. There is one thing that SAM will not improve, though. That would be your peace of mind.

SAM speaks so much, so frequently, that Mass Effect players even came up with a mod to make him speak less. It is just one of the many cool mods that Mass Effect Andromeda now has, but for many players, it is a must. Nobody needs to be told how cold it is every fifteen seconds.

3 SAM Is Capable Of Creative Thinking And Can Operate On Faith

At some point in the game, there was an explosion in the Hyperion that endangered the SAM-Node. That caused the Artificial Intelligence to become temporarily unable to speak due to the QEC going off-line.

SAM showed some truly unique problem-solving skills in that situation. He decided to enhance several physical capabilities of Alec’s body, making him significantly stronger and faster. Alec’s augmented body helped Alec transfer SAM’s kernel into armored storage units. SAM did not have an absolute guarantee that the plan would work, but he trusted that Alec would do what was needed.

2 SAM Only Has Two Dedicated Missions

SAM is a very important character in Mass Effect: Andromeda. His quantum computing power and access to the Pathfinder’s physiology are things that frequently prove to be helpful and useful. However, as a part of the plot, SAM only has a few moments to really shine. Maybe he had a storyline that was dropped, since it happened many times in the franchise.

When it comes to missions, there are only two that are either initiated or directly connected by SAM. Ryder Family Secrets, and The Firefighters. The first one is automatically acquired on the Hyperion. The second one can be done after reading a specific email send by Dr. Aridana.

1 SAM’s Codes Reveal How He Defines Himself

The way that SAM talks about his own existence is a very interesting way to learn more about the character. SAM is a real artificial intelligence. Self-aware in all senses, including his role and co-dependence in the symbiotic relationship he was created to partake. In the codex entry about himself, SAM goes on about how he was " was encouraged to write this entry by Alec Ryder."

Unfortunately, SAM quickly goes back to being pragmatic and talks about himself in descriptive terms. Even that being the case, we learn that SAM did not want to talk about himself at first, which seems to be a personality trait.

 NEXT: Mass Effect Andromeda: Every Habitable Planet In The Heleus Cluster, Ranked