Associated intelligence

Associated Intelligence is the term used by the Covenant to describe Artificial Intelligence. Although the definition is unclear, it appears to refer specifically to two or more AIs linked together and working in synchrony. According to their mythology, an Associated Intelligence once betrayed the Forerunners, and thus the Covenant maintained a strict ban on the creation of associated AI technology under penalty of death. The ban was put in place by the Prophets after learning parts of the tale of Mendicant Bias - a Forerunner AI composed of many AI minds, who descended into Rampancy, betrayed the Forerunners, and allied itself with the Flood in the misguided belief that its makers were "hindering" the evolution of the galaxy. The Covenant's ban may have stemmed from a desire to prevent such a thing happening again.

By 2552, this ban seems to have either have been repealed, or ignored with the introduction of what appeared to be extremely fragmented copies of captured UNSC AIs introduced into service aboard at least one Covenant warship.