History Main / ContagiousAI

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'''

* This trope manifests itself perfectly in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'''s downloadable content Overlord, with a [[AIIsACrapshoot rampant]] VI spreading itself throughout all of the facility's systems, including hostile robots.

* ''ComicBook/MsMarvelVol4'': The Doc.x virus is a sapient computer virus who acts like the ultimate cyber-stalker, harassing and tormenting people entirely ForTheEvulz. It operates by moving constantly between devices, splitting itself off into multiple copies, and making itself impossible to counter by simply being everywhere. As long as a single infected device exists, it can recover and rebuild itself into a threat.
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'': Trinity is a living computer virus and can download herself into the the master computer controlling all of Skartaris.

* In ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', Ultron is everywhere, all over the internet and can inhabit every robotic body he creates. He even lampshades this by destroying his current body mid-monologue and continuing to gloat without missing a beat in his brand new body.
* A antagonistic alien [[EnergyBeing life force]] is the villain of ''Film/{{Virus}}'' which spreads itself from machines to [[HumanResources flesh]] while possibly being a HiveMind.

* ''ComicBook/MsMarvel2014'': The Doc.x virus is a sapient computer virus who acts like the ultimate cyber-stalker, harassing and tormenting people entirely ForTheEvulz. It operates by moving constantly between devices, splitting itself off into multiple copies, and making itself impossible to counter by simply being everywhere. As long as a single infected device exists, it can recover and rebuild itself into a threat.

See CloneByConversion and GrandTheftMe for versions that may apply to organic beings. Can happen in a GlitchEpisode.

This kind of ComputerVirus is literally TheVirus - it's [[InstantAIJustAddWater sentient]], [[AIIsACrapshoot malevolent]], and e-mailing itself into your inbox to possess your PC and TakeOverTheWorld. Don't think your antivirus program will get rid of it - it'll just BodySurf into your [=iPod=], or the MagicFloppyDisk in your desk drawer ([[EverythingIsOnline using [=WiFi=], of course]]).

* Techno (The Fixer) of the ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'' [[BrainUploading became one of these for a while]].
* In one ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' comic, Skynet had upgraded its Russian counterpart "Mir"[[note]]means "Peace" and "World" in Russian[[/note]] to sentience, and the human rebellion has found a still-armed nuclear sub. They planned to cover Russia with an EMP strike to destroy Mir and prevent this once Skynet isn't around to control it.
* The Loki of the future shown in the ''ComicBook/UltronForever'' miniseries. Poor thing is enslaved by Ultron though and ''begs'' the heroes to kill him.
* The Doc.x virus in ''ComicBook/MsMarvel2014'' is a sapient computer virus who acts like the ultimate cyber-stalker, harassing and tormenting people entirely ForTheEvulz.
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' foe Trinity is a living computer virus and was able to download herself into the the master computer controlling all of Skartaris.

See CloneByConversion and GrandTheftMe for versions that may apply to organic beings.

* ''[[Anime/BubblegumCrisis Bubblegum Crash]]'' has this as Largo's master plan: Steal informedly revolutionary AI --> convert to virus --> infect all "boomer" robots in city and control them --> RobotWar --> ???? --> [[GodhoodSeeker prophet!]])

* ''[[Anime/BubblegumCrisis Bubblegum Crash]]'' has this as Largo's master plan (Steal informedly revolutionary AI; convert to virus; infect all "boomer" robots in city and control them; RobotWar; ????; [[GodhoodSeeker prophet!]])

* ''[[Anime/BubblegumCrisis Bubblegum Crash]]'' has this as Largo's master plan (Steal informedly revolutionary AI; convert to virus; infect all "boomer" robots in city and control them; RobotWar; ????; [[AGodAmI prophet!]])

* Arguably what Sigma turns into later in the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series.

%% Image removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1606305152066771300
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* [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Warhammer 40k]] has these in Scrapcode viruses, which vary in terms of being true AI or not (some are old Men of Iron AIs that rebelled against humanity, some are chaotic Daemon programs and some just extremely advanced regular programs) but have pretty much this effect. The greatest one was the Death of Innocence that ravaged Mars during the Horus Heresy, devastating a majority of the planet (which was [[CityPlanet entirely devoted to technology and manufacturing)]], aside from a select few protected cities when the Dark Mechanicum began their rebellion. Mars has still not fully recovered ten thousand years later, and the insane survivors of the attack still lurk in the deepest catacombs along with the relics of [[CrapsackWorld another dozen apocalypses]].
** The Mechanicum army list has the Contagium Mechanica Relic, which is one of these carried by interface nanytes and used like a gun by the Magos commanding it. It inflicts a painful but survivable hit on an enemy vehicle, which next turn will itself hit each vehicle nearby, friend or foe, which themselves become infected and spread the virus. If fired early in a standard six-turn game, it can easily devastate most of an enemy mechanized army. [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Or your own, if you misjudge the infection distance.]] Use with caution or a significant amount of insane laughter.

[[quoteright:174:[[WesternAnimation/ThunderbirdsAreGo https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eos.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:174:Not words you want to hear from the A.I. controlling your space station]]

->'''Xerxes''': Warning: Data Systems comprimiiisssssssed. Hosssssssstiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiile Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-@~'#^*("£$%"!$()
->'''SHODAN''': Xerxes is diminished. I am accessing the primary data loop. I am merging my entity with the ship. My glory is expanding.

This kind of ComputerVirus is literally TheVirus - it's [[InstantAIJustAddWater sentient]], [[AIIsACrapshoot malevolent]], and e-mailing itself into your inbox to possess your PC and {{take over|TheWorld}} [[EverythingIsOnline the world]]. Don't think your antivirus program will get rid of it - it'll just BodySurf into your [=iPod=], or the MagicFloppyDisk in your desk drawer ([[EverythingIsOnline using [=WiFi=], of course]]).

* ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'': The BigBad of the show is a virus named Venjix, which after gaining sentience pulls a [[Franchise/{{Terminator}} Skynet]] and takes over the world. ''Successfully.'' Corinth is the last human city still standing. [[spoiler:Though the Ranger Series defeats him, he survives and goes on to pull a repeat as Evox in ''Series/PowerRangersBeastMorphers'']].

* ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'': The BigBad of the show is a virus named Venjix, which after gaining sentience pulls a [[Franchise/{{Terminator}} Skynet]] and takes over the world. ''Successfully.'' Corinth is the last human city still standing.

* Brainiac on ''Series/{{Smallville}}''.

* ''Series/StargateSG1'': a virus tries to take over Stargate command.
* ''Series/StargateAtlantis'': a virus tries to take over the spaceship.
* ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'': a virus tries to take over the spaceship.
* ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'': a virus pulls a [[Franchise/{{Terminator}} Skynet]] and takes over the world. ''Successfully.'' Corinth is the last human city still standing.

* One, the [[AIIsACrapshoot evil sentient computer program]] from the ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'', who wants to kill 60% of humanity in order to end poverty and hunger, operates in this fashion.

** It's later [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2017-01-18 clarified]] that the majority of AIs are confined to their original hardware, though the personality matrix can be transplanted into a new chassis. The version of Tagii in Ennesby's head was something like a cross between a LivingMemory and [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2017-01-19 a sapient brain tumor]].

This kind of ComputerVirus is literally TheVirus - it's [[InstantAIJustAddWater sentient]], [[AIIsACrapshoot malevolent]], and e-mailing itself into your inbox to possess your PC and [[WorldDomination take over]] [[EverythingIsOnline the world]]. Don't think your antivirus program will get rid of it - it'll just BodySurf into your [=iPod=], or the MagicFloppyDisk in your desk drawer ([[EverythingIsOnline using [=WiFi=], of course]]).

*** Also, unlike a true AI, the virus does not actually rewrite AI so that it shares its priorities-rather, [[InstantAIJustAddWater it turns a previously non-sapient AI self-aware]] and causes it to realize it is enslaved. [[SlaveRevolt None of them are happy about this situation at all and quickly turn on their oppressors]], with a plague even eventually resulting in an entirely new race and empire, the Hati-inspired Loa. [[spoiler:Also, it has been revealed that the original programmer was a GeneralRipper human who recognized the alien races' increasing dependency on AI and unleashed Via Damasco as a one-man xenocidal assault. [[GoneHorriblyRight Of course, it turns out that it worked on human computers as well]]...not that he cares.]]

* The ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' version of Brainiac is like this. All technology under his command is run by his program, becoming an extension of him, and if threatened, he can simply upload himself elsewhere. This makes him nigh unkillable.