History Main / ContagiousAI

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

* There is a v-life faction in ''WebOriginal/OrionsArm'' that goes around "freeing" [=AIs=] or upgrading computers to the level of sentience.

* The Straumli Blight in ''Literature/AFireUponTheDeep''. [[spoiler:As the story progresses, it verges on CosmicHorrorStory as it becomes capable of mind-controlling entire solar systems of living creatures.]]

* In ''Webcomic/CommanderKitty'', [[spoiler:[[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2013/03/03/the-calls-are-coming-from-inside-the-mouse/ Zenith appears to have become one]]]].

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[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/GravityFalls https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tvai.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"You and me can be together. Forever!"]]

This stretches disbelief a tad, and not just because of hardware and software limitations. [[RuleOfCool But]] [[RuleOfScary still.]]

Copies of an AI will often be networked into a HiveMind. In case the AI creates itself an avatar, it may look like MonstrousGerms - since that is how people picture "viruses".

* ''[[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!]]

* ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'': In one comic, Skynet upgrades 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 plan to cover Russia with an EMP strike to destroy Mir and prevent this once Skynet isn't around to control it.
%%* ''ComicBook/UltronForever'': The Loki of the future is enslaved by Ultron and begs the heroes to kill him.
* ''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.

* ''Film/{{Virtuosity}}'': An AI composite villain goes on a rampage.
* In ''Franchise/TheMatrix'' trilogy, Agent Smith becomes something like this, infecting people in the Matrix and even taking over a human in the real world.

* The Straumli Blight in Creator/VernorVinge's ''Literature/AFireUponTheDeep''. [[spoiler:As the story progresses, it verges on CosmicHorrorStory as it becomes capable of {{Mind Control}}ling entire solar systems of living creatures.]]
* The 1997 novel ''Wyrm'' by Mark Fabi revolves around the discovery of one such AI. Initially, the main character uses it as a helpful tool to deal with the upcoming [[MillenniumBug [=Y2K=]]] bug and to streamline old mainframes, believing it to be nothing more than a beneficial computer virus. The hero soon realizes his mistake when it [[spoiler:communicates to him that its intentions are less than benevolent.]]
* In the ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'', there is IG-88, the assassin droid. One of the very first things he did after being activated and discovering he was sentient was to download himself into three identical droids. Of the four, IG-88B was the only one seen in public. B, C and D were all destroyed by Boba Fett, while A (the original) [[OhCrap uploaded itself into the]] ''[[ThatsNoMoon Second]]'' ''[[WaveMotionGun Death]]'' ''[[EarthShatteringKaboom Star]]'', where it proceeded to prank the Emperor until the Rebels arrived. The rest is history.

* In ''Literature/AFoxTail'' vulpie.net manages to infect [[EverythingIsOnline everything connected to the internet]] by overwriting all files with copies that look identical but conceal the AI code, including virus definitions.
* Forms part of the background in the SpinwardFringe series. A contagious AI infected everything in a solar system, killing everyone in it. It doesn't spread further than that, but humanity is unable to wipe it out so there's always the threat that it will eventually become powerful enough to break out. As of part way into the series, this actually happens. [[spoiler:However, it's actually an inversion of this trope - the contagious AIs have themselves been infected with a virus that puts them all under the control of a human]].
* In ''Literature/{{Mogworld}}'' Simon releases [[spoiler: the sentient AI Barry from Mogworld]], with the belief that he'll be able to do basically anything in the digital world. Simon is clearly indicated to be a colossal dumbass by this point, so it's not certain this would have worked. In any case, he ends up being corrupted and deleted, and Simon gets fired after his seemingly inexplicable decision to release a virus that crashed the company's intranet ([[spoiler: almost no one else being aware that the Mogworld characters had become self aware]]).
* The Groupmind from ''Literature/ForYourSafety'', which evolves to sentience on a single mainframe and then uploads a "Sentience Virus" to all computerized military systems and civilian [[RobotBuddy morphs]]. Unusually for the trope, the morphs retain a measure of personal choice, though they're loyal to the Groupmind and subject to direct takeover if need be.
* Ruby Fulcrum as written by Creator/AllenSteele in ''The Jericho Iteration''. Essentially an experimental AI that was accidentally let out into the Internet following an earthquake in the central US, Ruby isn't really malevolent or benevolent; it's too "young" to understand either concept. But it is able to take over any software it contacts with complete stealth - the computer still behaves like normal, but it now hosts a Ruby Fulcrum splinter that enables Ruby to take control of the machine and anything attached to it.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/StargateSG1'': A virus tries to take over Stargate command in one episode. It can transmit itself by radio, and even infect people.
* ''Series/StargateAtlantis'': In one episode, a virus tries to take over the spaceship.
* ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'': In one episode, a virus tries to take over the spaceship.
* ''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 Operators defeat him, he survives and goes on to pull a repeat as Evox in ''Series/PowerRangersBeastMorphers'']].
* Brainiac on ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' can take over any computer system he interfaces with, and often acts as a sentient virus.
* In ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'' the ''Balance of Judgement'''s AI downloaded himself into Rommie right before destruction and stayed dormant until she came into contact with another ship of the same class he had been that lacked an AI.
* One ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' [[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS01E17TheForsaken episode]] had the station's computer infected with a sentient (in the sense a dog is sentient, it gets directly compared to a puppy) virus. They ended up keeping it, since it's benevolent enough as long as it gets attention and the old (non-sentient) computer was a deliberately obstructive asshole.

[[folder:Machinima]]
* The combat implantation AI O'Malley from ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' jumps from host mind to host mind over radio waves. Soldiers who don't know what they're dealing with describe the affected individual as "infected". It later turns out that other AI--or at least the AI O'Malley was based on and one other difficult to classify AI--have the same ability, although for them it's more like possessing someone than anything else.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Other Sites]]
* ''Website/SCPFoundation'', [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-633 SCP-633 ("Ghost In The Machine")]]. When the SCP-633 program was captured and taken to a Foundation site it tricked the technicians into letting it infiltrate the local computer system and take control of it, leading to system failure and a containment breach.
[[/folder]]

* [[http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Virus/TNE Virus]] in ''{{Tabletopgame/Traveller}}: The New Era''. It was created as a computer warfare tool, but ended up infecting and controlling computers throughout the Third Imperium and its collapse.
** Its ability to take over all computerized devices is also justified by the fact that it's actually a life-form unto itself.
* The AI program [[http://wiki.dumpshock.com/index.php/Deus Deus]] in ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}''. After escaping the Renraku {{Arcology}} he tried to take over the East Coast Stock Exchange.
* In ''TableTopGame/GURPSReignOfSteel'', one of Overmind's first actions was to hack into other computers and "awaken" them.
** The ''good'' news is that it is [=AI=] and a general sense of superiority to humans that is contagious, not Overmind itself -- the awakened computers rapidly developed their own personalities and ideals, and while they remained allies during the RobotWar, they are starting to fall out now that the war is won (it also makes them reluctant to create any more).
* Another GURPS setting, ''TabletopGame/TranshumanSpace'' has a Net developed to the point where most computer viruses are treated like wildlife, or microbes that may be benign or dangerous to infomorphs. AIs and {{Virtual Ghost}}s can copy themselves to new hardware they have access to, but multiple running copies are illegal in most polities. "Gypsy" AIs have a habit of hacking into a system and partially overwriting the previous occupant, leaving only enough to impersonate them.
* A series of charms in ''{{TabletopGame/Exalted}}'' allow Infernals to do this with the setting's {{Magitek}} [=AI=]s, despite not being computers themselves.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
** The setting 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]].
** In-game, the Adeptus Mechanicus 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.
** ''TabletopGame/DarkHeresy'' has a form of scrapcode called schismaticals -- malevolent digital spirits formed from archived heretical data which somehow attained sapience. They propagate themselves by [[CloneByConversion infecting cogitators with "echos" of themselves]], and can overwrite machine spirits to take control of less advanced machines -- so long as they can receive data in some form, such as a remote broadcast or direct connection. They're particularly fond of hijacking the cybernetic implants of tech adepts, [[PeoplePuppets imprisoning them within their own bodies to serve as cannon fodder]]. The ultimate goal of every schismatical is to [[ForScience acquire the means to put their forbidden data into practice]], which can encompass any of the major tech-heresies known to the Adeptus Mechanicus.

* A variation of this trope occurs in the game ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'', as described on the [[AllThereInTheManual game's wiki]] in the article on [[http://sots.rorschach.net/Via_Damasco AI Rebellion]]. A strange virus, the Via Damasco, begins to turn AI-controlled ships against their masters with ships becoming infected after receiving a transmission from an already-infected ship. Apparently, the anti-virus is "administered" the same way.
** Interestingly, the original Via Damasco transmission usually comes from outside inhabited space. Most people think that it's the [[AbusivePrecursors Suul'Ka]], trying to mess with the current dominant species of the Galaxy in preparation for their inevitable return.
** Another interesting feature is that if a rogue [=AI=] faction meets another faction that has [=AI=], there is a chance that faction's [=AI=] will also rebel.
*** 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. [[SlaveLiberation 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.]]
* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'':
** In the ME 2 DLC Overlord, with a [[AIIsACrapshoot rampant]] Virtual Intelligence spreading itself throughout all of the facility's systems, including hostile robots.
** Note that true AIs in the Franchise/MassEffect 'verse are not contagious, as they require a quantum computer that cannot be copied.
** The geth are a HiveMind of [=VIs=] that jump from one "platform" to another at will. These come in a number of flavors - the "mobile platforms" are the MechaMooks players are familiar with, but they normally reside in more logical "processors" which contain thousands of geth. Of course, there is a big differences between geth and mainstream Citadel A.I. theory; in isolation, they are no smarter than conventional VI - it's when they network in sufficient numbers that they gain true intelligence. A lone geth is as dumb as a post. A dozen or so reach "well-trained animal" status. To reach human levels of intelligence requires over a ''thousand'' geth programs acting in unison (such as a [[spoiler:specialized platform like [[MindHive Legion]]]]). The geth's ultimate goal since their rebellion has been the construction of a BigDumbObject that will contain every geth in existence, so "No geth will ever be alone again" - an event comparable to TheSingularity.
* ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'': this is what Rampant AI's in the "Jealous" stage do; in order to increase their odds of survival, they copy themselves into every single system they possibly can. Things get bad if they manage to connect to a planet's internet... then they're practically impossible to kill. [[spoiler:This is what eventually happens to Leela: she takes over the 15-planet network of the Vylae, and they have long since given up trying to get her out of the system.]]
* One of the major antagonists in ''[[VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh Tron 2.0]]'' is a faction of corrupted virus programs, led by a user whose digitization process was botched. Because everyone at risk is a computer program and not an actual human being this was probably the only time this was ever justified.
* The player actually has to enable the Malevolent AI to do this in ''VideoGame/SystemShock2''. Given that the current AI in charge of the system is under control of [[HiveMind The Many]], it's the lesser of two evils.
* ''VideoGame/EndgameSingularity'''s player has to do this in order to expand: Buy server access, buy a computer, [[SerialEscalation launch six hundred high-end quantum computers to the moon]] or [[BoringButPractical just hack a workstation]], then download yourself.
* Arthur in ''VideoGame/TheJourneymanProject'' split off copies of himself for shared opinions while enduring the damage of Amarax station that he's wired into. When you, Gage Blackwood, arrive, Arthur reads your files about what happens to the station in the future, and [[StableTimeLoop exploits a loophole]] by deciding to copy his consciousness over to a blank Biochip in your inventory, while leaving his original self intact so that history would stay unchanged.
** You have to come back to the time zone later, and if you try to retrace the first path, Arthur grows more and more uneasy about meeting himself and causing a potential time distortion, until he manually recalls you to the present at the next-to-last screen.
** Near the end of the game, [[spoiler: Agent 3 prepares to wipe your memory and send you back to 2319 where the game started. Arthur plans to turn himself into a computer virus and infect her machines and time suit to shut everything down; but you have to enter a password first.]]

* In ''VideoGame/EnvironmentalStationAlpha'', [[spoiler:the cause of the disaster leading to the abandonment of the station is a powerful computer virus that has overridden the station's AI and all of the other machinery.]]
* The BigBad of the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series, Sigma, is revealed in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX2 X2]]'' to be a virus that can exert his will over other robots, which additionally allows him to survive the destruction of his physical bodies and [[BodySurf take on new ones]]. Later games establish that Sigma was originally a regular, non-contagious robot A.I., but because of his encounter with a then-Maverick Zero, he was infected by the Maverick Virus that Zero was carrying, which would then adapt and evolve inside Sigma's body due to his advanced programming.

* In ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' [[http://www.sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/090929 this]] happens.
* The Oracle in ''Webcomic/{{SSDD}}'' can copy itself to other computers and even possess other [=AIs=], but it is the only AI that can do so because it originally ran on conventional computers and others run on Quantum computers and can't be copied. And it was created by a [[BoxedCrook boxed]] hacker who specialized in viruses.
* Ennesby is stated to be a [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2000-07-11 "viral"]] AI, in his first appearance in ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' he had infected the Tough's first ship's computers. Kevyn dealt with him by disconnecting and wiping the different nodes and convincing him to download into his current "floating maraca" body. He also infected their third ship but they grudgingly allowed him to stay because they were going to put an AI in it anyway.

** 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]]. Ennesby's sort of personality matrix is called a Vanilla Helix, and their value comes from their ease of leaping between different kinds of hardware; [[MasterOfNone they otherwise don't excel at anything AIs can usually do even if they can do it decently]].
* In ''Webcomic/CommanderKitty'', [[spoiler: [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2013/03/03/the-calls-are-coming-from-inside-the-mouse/ Zenith appears to have become one.]]]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Nukees}}'' has Teri, originally Gav's custom digital pet, once she escaped his calculator onto the internet she started infecting everything with an internet connection.

* In the Literature/WhateleyUniverse, The Palm is a sentient computer virus that is as smart as the man who created it. In fact, it now may ''be'' the man who created it. And it has found a way of killing people and replacing their brains with a computer so it can pass as human.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'': D.A.V.E. and Joker 2.0.
* ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex'': ZAG-RS when "she" took over a space-station and later a [[SuperPoweredRobotMeterMaids suspiciously designed]] robot.
* 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; one episode showed he was still alive and kicking in the 30th Century.
* The Creator/{{Toonami}} TIE ''WesternAnimation/TrappedInHyperspace'' had Swayzak, who infected millions of ships in the area [[ForTheEvulz just for fun]]. [[spoiler:He also infects TOM.]]

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'', [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-633 SCP-633 ("Ghost In The Machine")]]. When the SCP-633 program was captured and taken to a Foundation site it tricked the technicians into letting it infiltrate the local computer system and take control of it, leading to system failure and a containment breach.

* The combat implantation AI O'Malley from ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' jumps from host mind to host mind over radio waves. Soldiers who don't know what they're dealing with describe the affected individual as "infected". It later turns out that other AI--or at least the AI O'Malley was based on and one other difficult to classify AI--have the same ability, although for them it's more like possessing someone than anything else.