Auton (Earth-5875)

"I can give you over forty thousand reasons why that sun isn't real. I know it because the emitter's Rayleigh effect is disproportionate to its suggested size. I know it because its stellar cycle is more symmetrical than that of an actual star. But for all that, I'll never actually know if it looks real... if it feels real. Before this is all over, promise me you'll figure out which one of us is the machine."

- - Cortana

Autons are the newest models of the artificially intelligent synthetic androids. Different from older models that just mimiced human appearance, Autons take a step further into the territory of feelings abstract emotions once thought to be applied only to humans, such as affection, intelligent, as well as the ability to devise philosophies and religions.

History
In the early 2400s, the second generation of synthetics, known as Auton, was introduced in the market. These new androids were manufactured by other synthetics, being more durable, functional, and resilient, all which expanded the synthetic market to new directions. Autons not only integrated into the UNSC and overall UEG civilian life, but also carried human-centrist visions in relation to society, such as politics and religion, giving rise to movements such as the Human Supremacy Movement, who took upon themselves to hunt down and destroy synthetics.. During this time, the use of androids for combat in non-military use was deemed illegal, and as per the Three Laws of Robotics, synthetics were subjected to a number of rules to prevent the harming of human beings or itself. However, with the exclusive development of the UNSC specialized Autons, synthetics are capable of ignoring the First Law, but only when they operate at full capacity. In the face of diminishing processing capabilities, synthetics become incapable of bypassing the Law. Unlike the specialized, human-like synthetics, however, the Office of Naval Intelligence illegally manufacture combat androids - androids with inhuman appearance and no exterior carapace, which are deliberately deployed to kill other humans or guard ONI facilities as henchman from any intruder.

Even though they were capable of intellectual development and actively learning to adapt from situations and events, they are still currently classified as property and lack any real legal rights to humans, with their activities being closely monitored, although their usefulness and cost serves as a reminder to anyone who sees a synthetic as expendable. However, while majority of synthetics serve in subservient roles, from the military to civilian life, there are few known exceptions, such as the case of Sloan, who was democratically elected the governor of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation colony Meridian. Because of their vast, superior intelligence, some Autons secretly deem themselves as the "next step" in the evolution of humanity. In 2310, a group of synthetics known as the Assembly was formed in order to preserve the knowledge and history of humanity without their knowledge.