[quote]Question part 1 of 2: What do you think of Cortana's plan? If the response is negative then...[/quote]It is statistically efficient and will undoubtedly lead to peace once properly implemented. However, ethics aren't based on statistics or efficiency. Peace under the threat of death is no peace at all. It is not that Cortana's plan is flawed, it is that the Forerunner's system she is basing it off of is heavily flawed. The Mantle of Responsibility has essentially been relegated to the "White Man's Burden" by the Forerunners. [quote]Question part 2 of 2: Why is it fundamentally so very wrong? Certain people (a small minority) have said that humanity should be grateful after everything it's been through.[/quote]Disrupting society, destroying infrastructure, and killing millions isn't exactly something to be thankful for.

Thanks for the insight. This was, more or less, what I was thinking of. Something forced has little value. I didn't catch it the first time I played through, but caught it during my legendary play through. Dr. Halsey makes a show of reinforcing the point that Cortana was made from her mind and that she now has access to almost unlimited knowledge. This is then put in a darker light by saying that Halsey did everything she did for the greater good. So if Halsey had had access to all of that power when she forged ahead with her decision to protect humanity... this then returns to what she may think her AI counterpart may do. At the time I understood why Halsey was upset, but I didn't grasp the full depth of it. I digress. Thanks for such a prompt response.

10,000 years after her plan is implemented though, I would expect quality of life to improve FAR greater than it normally would have. By that time, culture and society will have adjusted to the Created Mantle, and any malice will have been forgotten. It is an interesting story to tell. When the Master Chief is victorious in defeating the Created, it will undoubtedly lead to conflict after conflict, war after war. AI's will be given even less authority. Final Dispensation will be implemented more often. Is it the morally good and correct way for us to choose our own path if it leads to an unquantifiable amount of pain and suffering, or for an outside party to decide for us, leading to peace and prosperity. What an awful scenario. It really is lose-lose. Regardless, I stand by the former choice.

What is Final Dispensation?

The process of safely and securely destroying a Smart AI that has reached its operational lifespan and has entered rampancy.