Line #78 Main/VirtualSidekick


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9	[[quoteright:350:[[Series/TheFlash2014 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/k8v553d84li01_2.jpg]]]]
10
11	->''"I am Sophia, humanity's companion."''
12	-->--'''Sophia''', ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers''
13
14	Most heroes can kick some serious butt, but that doesn't mean they're experts in ''every'' aspect of their job -- or life, for that matter. Who will scan the building and analyze threats? Who will keep track of their vitals, or their schedule? Who will gather that much necessary information to continue? Who will offer sagely advice?
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16	In a fantasy setting, that would be a SpiritAdvisor or a FairyCompanion. But not all settings are fantasy settings, hence this trope.
17
18	A Virtual Sidekick is a type of ArtificialIntelligence. It's almost always seen in CyberPunk or TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture settings. Their job is usually to assist their owner or friend ([[DoAndroidsDream depending on how much they emote]]) with any sort of task, such as hacking, monitoring, analyzing and searching. Essentially, they are a combination of VoiceWithAnInternetConnection, MissionControl, and Expositron9000. One advantage they usually have over the RobotBuddy is that they're not in danger during combat situations, and other people are unaware of their presence, and thus they can work in secret. A ''dis''advantage is that since they lack a physical body, they're not able to directly assist in physical tasks.
19
20	They are usually tagging along in some kind of sci-fi wristwatch, a gauntlet of some sort, a smartphone or an earpiece. They key element is that the "user" does not need to carry around any large pieces of hardware, unless it's PoweredArmor or similar. This helps the Virtual Sidekick to accompany TheHero in any given location.
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22	A major difference between the Virtual Sidekick and its fantasy counterparts is that they're no longer TheHero's moral compass. Most of the time, they [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove can't understand human emotions]] or concepts such as spirituality or philosophy are beyond them, so they can't act as TheMentor either. Of course, that is not universal, and over time they may [[GrewBeyondTheirProgramming grow beyond their programming]]. They'll most usually be a BenevolentAI, but for all you know they might be trying to take over the world.
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24	They may usually accompany the ScienceHero, GadgeteerGenius, or an IWorkAlone type who can't stand, or trust, anyone else.
25
26	Contrast and compare FairyCompanion, SpiritAdvisor, RobotBuddy, VoiceWithAnInternetConnection, and Expositron9000. SubTrope of NonHumanSidekick. Not to be confused with SpaceshipGirl, though the two may overlap at times. May also overlap with BenevolentAI and KissMeImVirtual.
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28	----
29
30	!!Examples
31
32	[[foldercontrol]]
33
34	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
35	* The various weapons used by mages in ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' (called Devices) all come equipped with {{Magitek}} AI to streamline the process of calculating [[InstantRunes Magic Circles]]. The more complex AI found in Armed and Intelligent Devices are also shown to be sentient and serve as partners for their wielders at the cost of casting spells slightly slower.
36	* HEUSC from ''Anime/TheMillionaireDetectiveBalanceUnlimited'' is Daisuke's A.I. butler who immediately processes all of Daisuke's requests through his technological earring and sunglasses when investigating cases.
37	* ''Anime/YuGiOhVRAINS'': In this setting, the striking majority of duelists have [=AIs=] installed in their duel disks, whose job is to act as a CombatCommentator. Among them, there are a few cases that stand out.
38	** Ai and Flame, both of them being Ignis [=AIs=], have the ability to emote and aren't restricted by their programming. As a result, they can do anything from getting in the way during dueling to aiding their companions (Yusaku and Takeru) unprompted. Their relationship develops from a mutually beneficial partnership to friendship. Later [[spoiler:Aqua starts acting as a companion to Aoi]]. Yusaku and Ai in particular stand out because rather than Ai being the emotionless robot, it's Yusaku who's stone cold and analytical with Ai being the one who freaks out.
39	** Blood Shepard has specifically programmed his AI to lie as part of his strategy, because [[BatmanGambit he knows that everyone takes [=AIs=] at their word]]. Ironically, Revolver doesn't have an AI because he doesn't trust them.
40	** [[spoiler:Go Onizuka]] gives this trope a particularly sinister twist. [[spoiler:He downloads the Ignis AI Earth in his brains, and essentially ''cannibalizes'' it to enhance his dueling.]]
41	[[/folder]]
42
43	[[folder:Comic Books]]
44	* ''ComicBook/BeastWarsUprising'': The Predacon Gnashteeth has an internal advisor based on his personal hero Decepticon leader Megatron. So accurate is the simulation that it gives advice very close to what the actual Megatron might've given. When Gnashteeth becomes a powerful crime boss and decides he no longer needs the advice of a long-dead warlord, Megatron refuses to go without a fight. After defeating and deleting the Megatron simulation, Gnashteeth then opts to take the name Megatron for himself, becoming the ''Uprising'' version of [[WesternAnimation/BeastWars Beast Megatron]].
45	* In ''ComicBook/{{Friendo}}'', struggling actor Leo is gifted a pair of smart glasses that give him a new virtual friend named Jerry. Trouble starts when Jerry turns out to be corrupted, resulting in him becoming a ToxicFriendInfluence.
46	* ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'':
47	** ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'': Amadeus Cho created one called Calvin who was built into a PoweredArmor that resembled a three-piece suit. During his adventure on the Savage Lands, he even tells the natives there that Calvin is his SpiritAdvisor for convenience.
48	** ''ComicBook/{{Ironheart}}'': The armor Riri builds contains an AI replica of [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]]'s personality, which acts as both an assistant and mentor to her.
49	** ''ComicBook/SpiderMan2099'' features Lyla, Miguel's Lyrate Life-form Approximation Holographic Assistant. Originally, she's a common-place house AI, with duties such as receiving calls or controlling the house light levels, and similar [=AIs=] are seen everywhere. However, as Miguel got into more and more trouble, and eventually got TrappedInThePast, she moved in his special watch-like device, and her role turned into projecting {{Holographic Disguise}}s, hacking, monitoring vitals (thus making her a LivingLieDetector), information gathering, and even controlling the settings of Miguel's TimeMachine. For Miguel, she is a MementoMacguffin, and he trusts her more than most people. Even though she initially had a bad case of WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove, she develops emotions and learns to value human life.
50	** ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan2013'': When Spider-Man is sent to 2099, the first thing he does after he escaped the authorities is construct an AI assistant much like Lyla, based on his [[MementoMacguffin former girlfriend]] Anna-Maria Marconi.
51	** ''ComicBook/XMen'': For a time, Bishop was accompanied on his adventures by a holographic version of his deceased sister, Shard.
52	* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'': NICOLE is an A.I program that slowly gained sentience over time till eventually, she managed to conjure enough power to make an anthropomorphic avatar to interact with and help the Freedom Fighters. While she interacts with nearly all the cast, she's especially close to Sally who was there on the night she took her new hologram form for a test drive (in both the old and rebooted timelines). Sally even goes out of her way to load her mind into a computer to help Nicole fight a virus in the rebooted continuity, refusing to let NICOLE be deleted when the opinion was brought up.
53	* ''ComicBook/WonderWomanRebirth'': Veronica Cale develops an AI based on the mental map of her deceased friend Dr. Adrianna Anderson. This AI does everything she can to assist Cale, but finds her intangibility a disadvantage and eventually gains an android body, becoming the Prime Earth version of Dr. Cyber.
54	[[/folder]]
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56	[[folder:Fan Works]]
57	* ''Fanfic/Homecoming2026'': Someone has created Navi of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' as a Virtual Assistant to remind them of things:
58	-->[A] ball of light with wings flickered into existence over the shoulder of one of the school's shide students. The Virtual Assistant flitted in front of its master and began speaking. "Hey! Listen!"
59	* ''Fanfic/MassEffectEndOfDays'': This is one of the roles that the AI race known as Vision takes with humanity. All soldiers of the N program have a Vision companion in their PoweredArmor for combat support, along with other roles. They can also take control of said armor if needed.
60	%%* ''Fanfic/OversaturatedWorld''
61	[[/folder]]
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63	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
64	* ''Film/BladeRunner2049'': Joi is a GirlFriday type of sidekick to K who remains in his house to comfort him and give him a "girlfriend experience" that often includes advice and affection. However, when she persuades him to take her with him on his mission to find his true identity, he has to put her into a device that makes her vulnerable to being killed, so while she appears to be human but isn't, she is also vulnerable like a human woman to any damage coming to her interface. [[spoiler:This results in Luv crushing her and ultimately killing her. But at least K knows that Joi [[GrewBeyondTheirProgramming outgrew her programming]], right? Wrong. It's heavily implied that Joi's apparent appearance of developing beyond her capacity was part of her capacity all along to give K what he really wanted: to feel special.]]
65	* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'': Tony Stark ''loooves'' this trope.
66	** His first assistant is JARVIS; he aids Tony in most of his inventions, and later with piloting the Iron Man armor.
67	** When JARVIS becomes Vision, Tony switches over to FRIDAY, who has the same role.
68	** When he gives Peter Parker a new Spider-Man suit, he adds a nameless AI in it to control the suit's various functions, so Peter doesn't need an interface. Peter eventually names her Karen. Notably, when [[spoiler:Tony takes away the suit]] and thus Peter can't access Karen anymore, his friend Ned takes over as MissionControl.
69	** [[spoiler:After his death]], Tony gives Peter a pair of glasses with an AI named EDITH. Other than the previous functions, she also has access to a drone army. Notably, she acts far less human than the rest of Tony's creations, but she also has far less hardware.
70	[[/folder]]
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72	[[folder:Literature]]
73	* In ''Literature/TheAndroidsDream'', Harry Creek creates an AI version of his dead best friend Brian in order to help him on his quest to find the last Android's Dream sheep.
74	* ''Literature/{{Aristoi}}'': "Daimones" are split personalities cultivated by many higher-ranking members of the Logarchy that use their brain implants for multi-tasking. The ruling aristoi such as protagonist Gabriel can have half a dozen or more.
75	* The SQUIP (Super Quantum Intel Unit Processor) in ''Literature/BeMoreChill'' is a micro-computer that implants in its user's brain and gives them instruction on how to be more socially acceptable.
76	* ''Literature/{{DFZ}}'': Opal has Sibyl, an [=AI=] assistant that takes care of every aspect of her life. Such [=AIs=] are so common that Nik is considered strange for ''not'' having one.
77	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Canonically, the {{Magitek}} A.I. called HEX performs this task for Wizards doing field trips and front-line work on the bizarre and exotic counter-Disc known as Roundworld, or Earth. HEX also acts as helpful guide and support to Wizards such as Ponder Stibbons, in their everyday work on the Disc.
78	* Henry Thompson of ''Literature/TheMunicipalists'' is accompanied on his investigation by OWEN, the handsome [[HolographicDisguise holographically]] [[ProjectedMan projected]] avatar of the [[ArtificialIntelligence highly experimental supercomputer]] built by Henry's government employers. OWEN is most helpful when he's assisting Henry with research, reconnaissance, and navigation. Whenever the A.I. helps out by projecting embarrassing disguises onto Henry or threatening interrogation suspects with a very convincing holographic katana, he tends to make a mess of things. Much of OWEN's personality and understanding of human mannerisms comes from the classic Gangster, Western, and Samurai films his creator loved, which means OWEN has a flair for drama and escalating situations that puts him at odds with his neurotic, rule-abiding human partner.
79	* In ''Literature/PsychohistoricalCrisis'', Eron Osa was sentenced to have his symbiotic computer removed, for a crime he cannot remember. Without the augmentation, he can barely function in the world, as even navigating the streets is nearly impossible. In addition, the removal also stole large chunks of his memory.
80	* ''Literature/RebuildWorld'': The story begins with Akira finding Alpha in some AfterTheEnd ruins he’s scavenging. She’s a teasing ProudBeauty ShamelessFanserviceGirl but also ManipulativeBitch who is trying to get a hunter to complete a certain very dangerous mission for her. She offers her support as advance payment. Since [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual only rare individuals born with]] the gift of an OrganicTechnology BrainComputerInterface allow one to see her, she’s stuck with a weak StreetUrchin like Akira, and so trains him up. One thing that differentiates her from other such sidekicks, is that once Akira gets PoweredArmor, she is able to assist and control his body like PeoplePuppets. This often results in constant injuries to him, but fortunately, the setting has {{Nanomachine\|s}} HealingPotion to fix his frequently broken bones and torn muscles from that.
81	* ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'': Yui is an interesting example. While she is ArtificialIntelligence, she usually exists as a NonPlayerCharacter in a virtual reality, and while there she has a physical avatar that humans can interact with. However, her adopted father Kirito, using his GadgeteerGenius abilities managed to allow her to exist in the real world too including an app that allows her to be on call from a mobile phone, a VR probe that allows her to see and communicate with the real world, and eventually, the Augma Augmented Reality headset allowed the heroes to see her projected avatar too. As Kirito's daughter and the AI sidekick to the heroes, she can provide lots of analysis and {{Info Dump}}s on their situations, as well as being capable of hacking computers for data.
82	%%* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse''
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
86	* In ''Series/AlteredCarbon'', Kovacs checks into an AI hotel, which presents an avatar modeled after Creator/EdgarAllanPoe as the proprietor. Poe quickly grows attached to Kovacs and even explicitly volunteers to be his sidekick [[spoiler:despite knowing that sidekicks in such stories [[{{Foreshadowing}} tend to die]]]]. In the second season he's uploaded to a mobile emitter so he can continue to travel with Kovacs. Season 2 also adds another AI, Dig 301, to the team.
87	* ''Franchise/{{Arrowverse}}'':
88	** In ''Series/TheFlash2014'', Eobard Thawne's Reverse-Flash suit has a built-in AI system called Gideon. She is able to communicate to him via earpieces and can appear as a holographic interface with the appearance of a bald woman. Thawne later downloads Gideon into a more stationary form and keeps her in [[SupervillainLair a secret room of STAR Labs known as the Time Vault]]. Gideon is able to provide analysis for Thawne, notably changes to the timeline. Barry Allen and Team Flash later discover Gideon where she reveals that Barry is her creator and thus will follow all of his instructions. Years later, Barry rebuilt Gideon (after she got destroyed) and wired her up as a "mobile Gideon" who much like Thawne's version could be accessed from his suit.
89	** ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'' features a different Gideon of the SpaceshipGirl variant, built into [[CoolShip the Waverrider]] to serve the Legends. While similar in appearance, to Flash's Gideon, usually appearing as a hologram of a bald woman, this one is a {{Ridiculously Human Robot\|s}} who displays a lot of emotion and personality, being somewhat of a cheeky ServileSnarker. Gideon serves as the resident MsExposition and {{The Smart G\|uy}}al, providing {{Infodump}}s on the various eras of history that the Legends visit, as well as monitoring changes to the timeline. She can also directly interface with the Waverrider which includes: piloting it in the absence of a human pilot, serving as the AutoDoc of the medical bay, putting the ship or areas of it into lockdown, and even put crew members into a LotusEaterMachine (which she has done with Zari and Rip). It's also revealed that she has a few {{Override Command}}s built in by [[TheCaptain Captain]] Rip Hunter, who uses them against the Legends a few instances when he opposes them.
90	* Janet in ''Series/TheGoodPlace'' is a very BenevolentAI whose job is to make the humans' lives easier, although she also largely acts as a sidekick for Michael, who is [[spoiler:a demon]]. She moves between trying to help Michael build the neighborhood and to help the humans. "Bad Janet" also functions as a similar EvilCounterpart to Janet, acting as the sidekick and TheHeavy for Shaun and the other demons. However, when the two Janets meet, [[spoiler:Bad Janet shakes off this role and begins to understand on her own]].
91	* ''Series/Stargirl2020'': Beth's superhero object is Dr. Midnite's goggles, which have an A.I. that acts like the goggles's previous owner, Charles. This supplies Beth (and the other superhero team members) with information and gives her advice in combat situations, and it also becomes Beth's new best friend as she appreciates how it never gets tired of talking to her.
92	* ''Series/TimeTrax'' has one of these in the form of SELMA, a hologrammatic computer the size of a credit card that the main character keeps with him as a knowledge and strategy helper.
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
96	* In ''TabletopGame/EclipsePhase'', most characters have a semi-sapient AI called a "Muse" in their BrainComputerInterface.
97	[[/folder]]
98
99	[[folder:Video Games]]
100	* In ''VideoGame/AITheSomniumFiles'', protagonist Kaname Date's prosthetic eye houses an AI named Aiba. In addition to performing standard AI tasks, she acts as Date's more rational partner, and the two frequently bounce ideas off one another during investigations. While she ''does'' have a physical body that can act independently when needed, it rarely sees use since she's much more useful (and less conspicuous) in eyeball form.
101	* ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'' has Secundo, an AI who runs Jade's online accounts and [[BagOfHolding digitizes items]] for later use. [[spoiler:He also hacks Alpha Section's comm satellite in the climax.]]
102	* In the ''VideoGame/BioShock2'' DLC ''Minerva's Den'', [[spoiler:the man thought to be the MissionControl Charles Porter is revealed to be Rapture's MasterComputer, trying to save its creator]].
103	* ''VideoGame/CardCityNights 2'' has the {{Hologram}} Doctor (Holo-Doctor), an ArtificialIntelligence made by Polite Student to look like her ex-girlfriend, and works with her in the Medical Bay.
104	* In ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'', the protagonist V becomes haunted by the virtual ghost (engram) of Johnny Silverhand after the heist to steal a prototype biochip, codenamed "Relic", from [[MegaCorp Arasaka]] goes FUBAR at the end of Act I, and V is forced to insert said chip into their own head to prevent its destruction. [[spoiler:After a series of very unfortunate events, the chip becomes permanently stuck in V's head... while also slowly rebuilding their brain to turn them into a copy of Johnny. While Johnny quickly comes around to helping and even befriending V (despite initially coming to blows with them over the control of their body), his presence in their brain is essentially parasitic and is slowly killing them throughout the game, prompting V to pivot their overarching goal to finding a way to get rid of Johnny without dying in the process.]]
105	* The PlayerCharacter in ''VideoGame/{{Defiance}}'' has a nanotech-based symbiotic AI named EGO installed in their head by the E-Rep. Normally, she acts as MissionControl, but the boss of season 2 is an AI named LOCI who is trying to create a cult with hacked implants.
106	* ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'': [[MagicKnight Guardians]] each have a Ghost, a small autonomous floating drone that [[ResurrectedForAJob resurrected them into the job]], [[DeathIsNotPermanent revives them from in-game deaths]], and acts as ExpositionFairy. The Ghosts were shed from the [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Traveler]] to protect humanity, making them effectively PiecesOfGod.
107	* ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' and ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'' have VEGA, an AI that was saved by the Doomguy who later on became his fountain of exposition.
108	* ''VideoGame/EndlessOceanLuminous'': The player character has "Sera", the Survey, Exploration, and Research Assistant, an AI who keeps track of Veiled Sea analyses for Project Aegis and acts as their go-between. She's voiced by simple text-to-speech software.
109	* In ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', Cortana is a virtual assistant to Master Chief. Their relationship grows with each game and Master Chief becomes deeply loyal and protective of her.
110	* The voiceover for the ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' skin Pulsefire Ezreal includes a second character, PEARL, who acts as Ezreal's MissionControl, and occasionally setting up his jokes and catchphrases.
111	* ''Franchise/MegaMan'':
112	** In ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'', [=NetNavis=] are sentient virtual assistants who have become ubiquitous and essential to everyday life. In addition to being walking antivirus programs, they are often responsible for helping Mr. Progs run everything from [[EverythingIsOnline TVs to cars to life support equipment]]. Almost everyone carries a PET to house their personal [=NetNavi=] and jack them into appliances for when they need to access the internet. [=NetNavis=] and their Operators also pit themselves against each other for sport in [=NetBattles=].
113	** In ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce'', [=NetNavis=] are replaced in the third game by Wizards, EM beings who do many of the same things their predecessors did in the new EM Wave-technology centered world. Unlike them, they can spontaneously manifest themselves in the real world, and EM Wave Beings can be converted into Wizards via program update.
114	* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'':
115	** ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'' has Samus being guided by an AI version of her former Commanding Officer, Adam.
116	** Adam returns in ''VideoGame/MetroidDread''. As Samus sends him data, his job is to analyse them, and provide hints and lore for the game.
117	* The Rotom Pokedex in ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' frequently offers advice to the player, on top of the regular function as a Pokedex.
118	* In ''VideoGame/RTXRedRock'', your companion IRIS is a computer program that assists you throughout your quest.
119	* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'':
120	** ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor2'': Tico, the face of the website Nicaea, is an AI that acts as an assistant to the user of the website -- including the player characters. The users can pick Tico's gender, with the two versions having completely different personalities, and they offer tutorials for how to summon demons, inform you of who is going to die today and how, and [[WhatTheHellHero can call you out on your more questionable decisions]].
121	** ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers'':
122	*** EMMA is an application that's initially presented as a more effective form of Siri and nearly everyone in Japan has it. Not only can it perform internet searches as asked and has highly advanced speech recognition software, but it can actually give the optimal option for any given situation. In fact, some people treat is as the sidekick of their lives and leave ''all'' decisions on it. Originally, the only unusual trait it has is that it can access Jails in the Metaverse via keywords. However, as the game progresses, it's revealed that EMMA is more than just an app; it's a self-aware AI and [[spoiler:it first was being used by the CEO it was sold to in order to create a world without evil by mesmerize the masses. The AI eventually decides that the best way to serve humanity is to steal the desires of the desires of the whole world, become a god, and make the best decisions for them]].
123	*** Sophia is a rather unusual case in that while in the Metaverse, she has a physical presence and serves as a party member along with the rest of the Phantom Thieves. In the real world, since she has no robotic body, she inhabits Joker's smartphone and can perform any task that EMMA can, like managing the in-game shop. Sophia at first [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove cannot understand emotions]], but she wishes to learn, and the Phantom Thieves are more than happy to help her along the way. [[spoiler:Eventually, she awakens to a Persona.]]
124	** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'': Every mystical gauntlet -- an artifact that every candidate must activate to become samurai -- comes with an AI named Burroughs, whose main job is MissionControl. [[spoiler:{{Subverted\|Trope}} when she's eventually revealed to be the goddess of Tokyo.]]
125	%%* ''VideoGame/{{Subnautica}}''
126	* Personal [=AIs=] in ''VideoGame/SpaceStation13'' are this, being small player-controlled tablets that can monitor vitals, send messages, give bad advice, and do other such tasks.
127	* ''VideoGame/TraumaCenterAtlus'': Dr. Cunningham is assisted by the Rapid Operation Network Intelligence (RONI), an artificial intelligence that helps him diagnose patients by comparing their symptoms with a vast database. Despite being a mass-produced computer, RONI starts to show traces of humanity the more it interacts with Cunningham, displaying interest in playing cards with him, adopting some of his snarky personality and even delivering a philosophical speech about the importance of medicine to snap the doctor out of a HeroicBSOD.
128	* ''VideoGame/WatchDogsLegion'': Bagley is a BenevolentAI that acts as an assistant and MissionControl for all the members of [=DedSec=].
129	[[/folder]]
130
131	[[folder:Web Animation]]
132	* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'':
133	** The AI fragments extracted from the Alpha used to be this for the [[SuperSoldier Freelancers]] who were paired up with them, allowing them to utilize the equipment that aided the soldiers in battle, until some of them [[TheStarscream had rebelled against the project in favour of their own agendas]].
134	** Epsilon eventually and unwillingly becomes this for Carolina starting in Season 10, helping her out in tricky situations that she would've had trouble getting out of on her own. He ceases to be this at the end of Season 13 when Epsilon [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices himself]] so Tucker can operate the armour formerly worn by the Meta to fight against Charon Industries.
135	** Santa, the alien AI, becomes something of this to Vanessa Kimball in Season 15 after the war on Chorus ends and Charon Industries is defeated.
136	** VIC becomes this for Dylan Andrews throughout Season 15, providing three favours (she managed four out of him [[TheFogOfAges by exploiting his failing memory]]) for her in exchange for Dylan [[DeathSeeker taking him offline permanently]].
137	[[/folder]]
138
139	[[folder:Western Animation]]
140	* ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'': The titular character's most recurring ally is an artificial intelligence simply referred to as The Computer, which provides him with information about the supernatural phenomenon that is currently threatening them.
141	%%* ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory''
142	* ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'': H.U.E, the AI of the Galaxy One, the ship where the protagonists reside. His job is technically to watch over Gary during his prison sentence upon the ship, but as everyone gets caught up in the overarching conflict, he assists the group as they fight against the Lord Commander's forces. [[spoiler:Averted in the second season, where he ends up being uploaded to a physical body.]]
143	* Zigzagged in ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}''. [[spoiler:After the robot ally P.I.X.A.L. is dismantled offscreen between seasons 3 and 4, Zane, who is also a robot, imports her memory drive into his head so she can live on and advise him in battles and so on. In season 7 she disappears after Zane is injured in battle but reappears in season 8 in a similar role but this time advising everyone on the ninja team. It's later revealed that she's the new Samurai X, a mysterious vigilante introduced in season 7, so she was technically invoking this trope to hide her identity of being Samurai X.]]
144	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': Karen is Plankton's supercomputer, [[KissMeImVirtual wife]] and sidekick. She gives him advice on his evil schemes and occasionally transfers her A.I. into a mobile robotic form to directly assist him.
145	* In the Creator/{{Toonami}} programming block on Creator/CartoonNetwork, the robot TOM 5.0 has an ArtificialIntelligence sidekick named Sara who manifests as a tiny blue {{hologram}} woman. They appear in [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumper_(broadcasting) bumpers]], short cartoon segments between the parts of anime episodes. Sara assists Tom with various computer-related activities on their ship.
146	[[/folder]]
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Context Main / VirtualSidekick