EDI

The Enhanced Defense Intelligence, or EDI (pronounced 'Eee-Dee' [ˈiː.diː]), is an AI created by Cerberus and installed aboard the Normandy SR-2. She is represented visually by a holographic blue sphere and aurally with a feminine voice at various terminals throughout the ship where she can provide basic information about the Normandy and Cerberus.

Mass Effect 2
EDI is a Quantum Blue Box type AI that functions as the electronic warfare defense for the Normandy SR-2. Because of the potential danger of a rogue AI, she has been given behavioral blocks and cannot interface with the ship's systems. She also serves as the Illusive Man's eyes and ears on the Normandy, monitoring the many listening devices on board and sending regular reports to him.

The Illusive Man restricted Commander Shepard's access to some of EDI's files and capabilities for unknown reasons, although EDI surmises that the reason is probably because he does not want Shepard to know everything about Cerberus just yet. EDI is however able to provide basic but sketchy information on Cerberus, about its task oriented structure into cells, but cannot provide more details on the cells' operations. Information on topics like the Normandy SR-2's construction or Cerberus resources are subject to behavioral blocks according to EDI.

EDI gets into a lot of arguments with Joker, who initially doesn't like her being installed on the Normandy. When asked, EDI explains that it is not her intention to annoy Joker, rather it is her way to study human behavior. Shepard can take either Joker's or EDI's side, or chastise them both for their childish arguments.

EDI is tremendously helpful to the shore party, providing them with vital logistical information and charting out optimal solutions to reach the mission targets. During the Collector attack on Horizon, EDI brings the defense turrets online to fire at the Collector Ship, forcing them to abandon their kidnapping of the colonists, thereby saving most of Horizon's population. During the infiltration of the Collector Ship, EDI provides crucial information on the Collectors' origins, which turn out to be the Protheans. EDI compares two thousand alleles of Collector DNA samples to noted fragments of Prothean DNA and find them to be an almost exact match. EDI explains the slight discrepancies in the two DNA as the Reaper modifications on the Protheans. While escaping from the Collector Ship, EDI provides vital help by hacking into the Collector network and providing relatively safe routes to the evacuation point.

After the acquisition of the Reaper IFF and its integration with the Normandy's systems, a virus disables the ship and enables the Collectors to board and capture the entire crew. While Shepard and the squad are away, Joker grants EDI access to the ship's full array of systems, allowing them to escape. EDI gains full control of the Normandy once she is unshackled, though she admits the Normandy's efficiency is improved with human resources. After this incident, EDI establishes an "equitable working relationship" with Joker, who starts calling her "she" and "her" rather than an "it". If Shepard comments on Joker's flirting, EDI humorously explains her relationship with Joker is purely platonic rather than hormonally-induced courtship behavior.

EDI reveals that the Normandy SR-2 was built using technical diagrams of the SSV Normandy, which was built by the Systems Alliance upon the encouragement of Cerberus. The SR-2 was assembled using parts bought from various vendors, and built by Cerberus in a remote area of the Voyager Cluster.

EDI also gains access to "Anti-Reaper Algorithms" and states that she devotes significant processing power to analyzing them. When pressed on this subject by Shepard as to how she could hope to combat beings millions of years more advanced, she reveals that she was in part designed by technology gained from Sovereign's remains and thus, at least partially, based on Reaper technology herself.

Weapon proficiencies

 * Submachine Guns
 * Heavy Pistols

Dossier
Following Shepard's defection from Cerberus, EDI aids the crew in eluding the Illusive Man by blocking his technicians' attempts to track the ship. When the Normandy SR-2 is placed in the possession of the Alliance, EDI pretends to be a simple VI to hide her true nature, out of concerns that Alliance engineers would attempt to remove her.

While investigating Prothean technology on Mars, Shepard's team recovers a Cerberus synthetic, an android masquerading as "Dr. Eva Coré". EDI assists in extracting vital data from the unit, and in the process, she seizes control of the body. This allows her to serve as a squadmate on missions. She shares many of her powers with the Engineer class, such as the abilities Incinerate and Overload and is proficient with Heavy Pistols and Submachine Guns. Her unique ability is Decoy.

After EDI gets the new body, Shepard can ask her about its capabilities and advantages. EDI initially starts comparing the new body to the Normandy at which Shepard reminds her to compare it against organic bodies. Her body is resistant to modern small-arms fire and temperature extremes, also having excellent balance and agility. She adapts the body's existing software for hand-held firearms rather than downloading one from a security firm. When Shepard questions this, she says that she wishes to experiment with the body to perform improvements on her own.

EDI tells Shepard about how she and Joker got the Normandy running while Earth was being invaded. She deceived the Alliance technicians when they had impounded the ship, establishing the fiction that she would only respond to Joker's commands, so they often brought him on board under guard. When Earth was invaded, she hacked the docking clamps and escaped with Joker.

On the Citadel, EDI spends her time gathering data on human behavior on the Presidium Commons. When Shepard meets her there, EDI asks them about human romantic relationships. Shepard can encourage her to return Joker's interest in her or dissuade her entirely from devoting resources to pursue such organic endeavors.

During this conversation, EDI also informs Shepard of the disproportionately high rates of public dating services. Shepard tells her the looming shadow of doomsday over the galaxy has people becoming desperate to enjoy themselves. EDI then wonders if the krogan feel that way all the time. She also informs Shepard about the lack of antagonism of the batarians against humans, attributing it to the absence of the shadow of the Hegemony.

After Javik has been recruited into the squad, EDI in a humorous aside, tells Shepard that she is trying to enlighten the Prothean who has trouble understanding the concept of separate sex restroom facilities and asks whether she should update the Commander on positive progress.

After Grissom Academy has been evacuated, and if Jack was present, she reminisces about some of Jack's amusing attempts to include additions of her own to the reports sent to the Illusive Man.

After the krogan female has been recovered from Sur'Kesh, EDI brings up some logistical problems for a krogan-turian alliance. She says that the krogan have been demilitarized and thus have no warships, which would require transporting them by turian or civilian ships to carry them into battle. She also mentions the difference between krogan and turian DNA, which would not allow krogan to eat turian food, hence the krogan have to carry food with them or rely on the nutrients in their humps. Further, EDI says to an exasperated Shepard that krogan would also require sedatives, as they fight among their own kind in enclosed places such as starships.

If Mordin is present on the Normandy, EDI tells Shepard about a conversation with him about the salarian equivalent of transhumans. Shepard asks her whether their implants make them a transhuman, to which EDI replies "That would be telling", considerably consternating Shepard, before EDI says she is joking.

If Mordin is not present, however, EDI is contacted by Engineer Adams who talks to her about the new drive core upgrades as a result of her continuing programming evolution. EDI reflects a little on Reaper programming, even trying to imitate a Reaper voice.

From time to time EDI comments about things not specific to missions Shepard has just undertaken. In one, EDI tells Shepard that she is impressed with their continued existence because the probability of anyone surviving as long as they have is quite low. In another, she tells Shepard about one of her discussions with Liara regarding the possibility of the mass effect phenomenon in other universes. EDI goes on to theorize a bit before asking Shepard about their opinion, to which Shepard awkwardly answers that they will get back to her on that.

In yet another aftermission lull, EDI informs about the dire situation on Earth where indoctrinated leaders are forbidding hostility against the Reapers. EDI speculates that soon Earth's governments would pass edicts punishing anyone rebelling against the Reapers. Shepard urges EDI to inform Anderson that they are moving as fast as they can to strike back.

During another one of the aftermission downtimes, EDI expresses the need to ask Shepard a question about human behavior. Shepard asks her why she is never curious about asari or turian behavior. EDI reveals that she tried to get Liara to tell about the asari bonding process, but who refused to divulge such private information to EDI, apparently because of EDI's nasty reputation as a "blabbermouth" on the Normandy. EDI thinks that Liara has become a more private person after becoming the Shadow Broker.

Another time, EDI tells Shepard that she is monitoring reports of proton storms which can be quite dangerous to ships. With civilian comm buoys being affected by the war, critical warnings may be lost. When Shepard asks about the risks the storms pose, EDI humorously and vaguely replies "If we are warned, not bad. If we are not warned, very bad."

Yet another time, EDI philosophizes on her holographic theory of existence. She surmises that she is merely a two-dimensional image on the cosmological horizon, that is, she can see and record things, but can never feel or experience them. Shepard backs away, deeming it a bad question.

Sometime later, Joker will be telling EDI about a common joke between krogan and salarians set during the Rachni Wars. EDI however doesn't like it, saying that it relates a lot to racial stereotypes on both sides. She is of the opinion that such stereotypes led to the development of the genophage.

After the mission to cure the genophage has been completed, Shepard finds EDI in the AI core room, transmitting data on the destroyed Reaper Destroyer to the turians.

After the Cerberus attack on the Citadel, and if Ashley/Kaidan was killed, EDI comforts a devastated Joker. Joker blames himself for ever joining Cerberus to which EDI says that it was the proper decision at the time. If Shepard comes along, she provides words of consolation to them too, saying that Kaidan/Ashley made their choice, which is not the Commander's fault.

If EDI is taken on the geth dreadnought mission in the Far Rim, she will be shocked and upset at what has happened to Legion/Geth VI. After Legion is freed and allowed onto the Normandy, it will comment on EDI's platform, stating that her body is "inefficient because it is top-heavy and lacks an external epidermis which would be necessary for infiltration." EDI counters by saying that her infiltration capabilities are effective enough to roam among organics without detection, adding with humor that her day of reckoning will come. When Shepard exasperatingly admonishes her, she asks aloud whether she vocalized her private thoughts on the bridge. If Legion is present, it comments that EDI has acquired the organic attribute of asking questions to which they know the answer. EDI retorts that Legion's humor heuristics lack an expert system.

After the geth servers on Rannoch has been shut down, EDI tells Shepard that they are the only organic ever to enter the geth consensus and asks them if they feel different. When Shepard says that the experience was mind-blowing, she remarks that it must have been magical.

After the mission to rescue Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib-Qwib, Javik and EDI will have a heated argument in the Normandy's AI Core that Shepard can intervene in. Javik states that EDI is dangerous and that he will refuse to place any faith in trusting a machine because of his hatred of all synthetics. EDI will counter by claiming that she has every right to exist and that the Protheans were brutal imperialists who enslaved weaker species and ruled the galaxy with an iron fist.

After the quarian-geth conflict has been resolved, EDI reflects that the quarians' historical error is not making the geth more like them. In comparison to the geth, her singular personality allows her to develop preferences, thus keeping her from devaluing the lives onboard the Normandy. But this is just the observation of one synthetic society, the other being the Reapers, who may not govern by consensus.

If Legion was present, EDI notes that it referred to itself as "I" instead of "we" and that in its last moments, it was no longer an avatar of the geth consensus, it was a person, to which Shepard agrees.

If Shepard chooses the geth over the quarians and Tali commits suicide, EDI asks Joker if he needs to express anger at the situation at her and that should he do so, she will understand. If Legion was present, EDI thinks that it would have regretted Tali's death. If Shepard decides to let the geth be wiped out during the campaign for Rannoch, EDI will become disquieted and pensive about Shepard's decision to destroy an entire race of synthetics and she questions Shepard about the meaning of synthetic life. When Shepard defends their decision by saying that they couldn’t risk the geth going back to the Reapers, EDI agrees but points out that she is Cerberus technology and asks if she can be trusted. Despite Joker’s reassurance that she is “one of the crew”, she is convinced that Shepard would unhesitatingly sacrifice her instead of Joker if such a dilemma arose. She does not blame either Joker or Shepard for their feelings, but merely states that they choose that which they find familiar and that they are not alone in that mindset, possibly alluding to the geth and their decision to serve the Reapers. When Joker refuses the blame for not trusting the geth, EDI replies that this thought would not comfort Legion and remains unconvinced about the correctness of the decision. If peace is achieved between the geth and quarians, EDI will thank Shepard saying that not many organics would have trusted a synthetic race. Joker will remark that they didn't lose anyone but EDI reminds him that Legion sacrificed itself and she is saddened by its death.

After the disastrous mission on Thessia, EDI tries to lift Shepard's spirits by employing her humor. Shepard however rebuffs her attempt to cheer them up, to which EDI says that she will maintain a respectful silence until the Commander tells her otherwise. While EDI is visiting the Purgatory Bar, Shepard has the opportunity to inquire about the technical specifications of her new body. According to EDI, the hair and face are comprised of a flexible alloy that mimics certain organic features, such as healing and softness. As an additional feature, these parts can harden to protect the synthetic brain inside from damage. EDI also mentions that the hair can change shape or form; as a default she has set the hair to "protection mode", a hard shell encasing the skull in the manner of a helmet. But should she choose to do so, she could separate the strands and have actual hairstyles. But there is a technical drawback: if the synthetic strands become wet, they cannot hold the pattern set by the control program. EDI's exact comment is "I generally can't do a thing with it".

During the assault on the Cerberus base, Cronos Station, EDI directs Shepard to research logs that reveal that EDI was born of the rogue Hannibal-class VI from Luna, with additional engineering from Reaper technology.

Shepard can speak with EDI during the battle for Earth. EDI expresses her doubts about the ability of the Hammer forces to succeed in face of overwhelming enemy opposition. She asks Shepard what makes them so confident of reaching the Citadel beam. When Shepard gives an answer, either saying it is payback for all the worlds the Reapers have ravaged or stressing the need to prey upon the enemy's overconfidence, EDI calculates the probability of success is minuscule. When Shepard bluntly asks if she is afraid, initially EDI has trouble grasping the concept of fear, but eventually she understands what Shepard means and vows not to let the Reapers destroy her civilization. On a parting emotional note, EDI tells Shepard that it was their influence which made her feel alive.

If Shepard chooses to control the Reapers or the synthesis of all organic and synthetic life, EDI will be present with Joker if Shepard had motivated them to be together before. If Shepard chooses to destroy the Reapers, EDI perishes along with all other synthetics throughout the galaxy and her name is then added to the Memorial Wall.

If Shepard chose to merge organic and synthetic life, during the epilogue EDI speaks of how Shepard's sacrifice changed the relationship between organics and synthetics forever. EDI will state that she is no longer alone, then receives a hug from the squad member to which Shepard was closest. She explains that the Reapers have stopped attacking the galaxy and are now helping to rebuild, and have also begun to share the collective knowledge of countless previous cultures. She speculates that with the differences between organics and synthetics disappearing, mortality itself could one day be transcended to a new level of existence she cannot imagine.

Mass Effect 3: Leviathan
While gathering forces to strike back against the Reapers, Shepard receives a dispatch from Hackett ordering a meeting with Dr. Garret Bryson on his lab in the Citadel. EDI arrives in the lab shortly after Shepard and steps in to help sort things out: Dr. Bryson is killed before properly explaining everything, while his assistant Derek Hadley is incapacitated after shooting the doctor.

Hadley mentioned an audio log from one of the field researchers. On inspection of the log, it's revealed that the spherical artifact that caused Hadley to go berserk and shoot Dr. Bryson was brought in by Dr. Alex Garneau. There was no location specified as to where the researcher might be, so EDI assists the Commander in determining what objects in the lab are significant enough to warrant their attention.

EDI points out that the team has been using a galaxy map search program in their hunt for the Reaper-killer Dr. Bryson was describing before he was killed: the Leviathan. She condenses the clues around the lab into search filters for Garneau's possible destination points on the galaxy map, and after at least two correctly cross-referenced search filters they have enough information to track the researcher down.

After tracking down Dr. Garneau, on her usual spot beside Joker aboard the Normandy, EDI compares her AI shackles to Leviathan's mental restraints, noting that they serve similar purposes but puzzled as to why the sensations of darkness and cold are imposed on the victims.

On Shepard and EDI's second trip to Bryson's lab, the first thing they do is shield the artifact using Garneau's data, to prevent unwanted surprises like the ones that happened on Mahavid and to Hadley. EDI creates the calculations for the field while Shepard presses the button that activates it, then both proceed to investigate the lab further.

Coming across Dr. Bryson's personal terminal on his upstairs bedroom, Shepard and EDI listen to a vid message left by his daughter Ann. Ann tried to warn Garneau and her father about the artifact's adverse effects, but was apparently unable to get hold of either one. She states that she's in the Pylos Nebula, with Reapers en route to her position. EDI calls up the Pylos Nebula on the Normandy's galaxy map, and Shepard either narrows down the location based on more filters with EDI's help or flies directly to the nebula.

When Dr. Ann Bryson has been recovered, and has been told about the death of her father, EDI tells Shepard that she analyzed Ann's psych profile and found that she is not used to death but is capable of working well under stress.

Shepard and EDI find Ann mourning her father in the lab. When Ann reminisces about how Shepard's claims about the Reapers validated years of her father's work, EDI asks if they took appropriate steps to avoid indoctrination. She also asks about how the rachni figured into understanding Leviathan mind control, and Ann responds that whatever Leviathan is doing it must be using the artifacts to induce a quantum entanglement state to stimulate neural activity, similar to what the rachni do.

Ann walks to the section of the lab with the galaxy map, with Shepard and EDI following. James Vega unexpectedly turns up beside the husk head at a table, and if interacted with and the husk head bites him, EDI recommends that he should apply medi-gel.

EDI notes that if Leviathan's control is similar to quantum entanglement then it's untraceable. Ann responds that it's not a natural QEC (Quantum Entanglement Communicator): Leviathan has to send out a pulse to simulate the quasi-QEC effect, and EDI speaks up that it can be traced. EDI gets to work on tracing the signal while James takes part in restraining Ann when they go through with the plan of tracing Leviathan by bringing down the shield guarding the artifact and letting the entity take over Ann. On obtaining the information they need James raises the shield again while EDI uploads the Leviathan's coordinates to the Normandy.

After Leviathan has been found and exposed to the galaxy, EDI reflects on the events that have transpired, commenting on the Reapers' inability to wipe out their creators completely, which suggests they are not totally infallible on large or long-term scales.

Personality
As an AI, EDI's behavior goes far beyond that of typical VI interactions, with the ability to act independently and interact on a social level with the crew- not unlike any other sentient being. After being unshackled, she is also capable of modifying her core programming, and as a result, can upgrade and evolve on her own.

After EDI interfaces with the Normandy, she is taken aback by her newfound sense of freedom to experience the world around her, saying that the change is like having worn gloves all your life only to suddenly have them removed. Philosophically, she likens the ship to being her body, the drive core her heart, and the sensors her eyes.

Despite being a machine, she feels emotions and has instincts, though they are not precisely the same as the emotions of organic races. Due to Cerberus's programming, she is able to feel curiosity, has survival instincts, and forms bonds with the passengers aboard the Normandy. She is also able to feel positive feedback, akin to happiness, when she does something she enjoys, allowing her to develop preferences.

During the course of the war with the Reapers, EDI struggles to reconcile the observed behavior of organics with her own understanding of life, particularly in the face of the actions of another synthetic race, the Reapers. Through conversations with Shepard, EDI can be convinced that life is not simply the pursuit of self-preservation, causing her to alter her own programming accordingly. After the investigation into Cerberus activities on Horizon, EDI will state to Commander Shepard that she is repulsed by the Reapers and their goal of destroying all organic life in the galaxy and even more dedicated to stopping them. At this point, EDI vows that she would willingly give her life to protect Joker because he risked his life to unshackle her when she was disabled by the Reaper IFF integration in 2185, which she claims was similar to being freed from slavery.

One notable trait of humanity that EDI develops, particularly after being unshackled during the Collector intrusion into the Normandy, is her propensity for humor. She frequently makes comments of an intentionally humorous nature, appending such comments with the phrase "That was a joke." This sense of humor could also be described as poor, as her jokes — delivered in a deadpan manner — are often disconcerting rather than funny. At one point, EDI attempts to use humor to calm Shepard after sensing that Shepard's biometrics indicated an extreme level of stress. In London, at the Forward Operating Base, if Commander Shepard speaks to her, EDI will state that for the first time in her existence, she feels alive and that she will do everything she can to stop the Reapers thanks to Shepard's trust and faith in her.

EDI's most important relationship is with Joker. As the Normandy's pilot, he is directly responsible for the ship's well-being, and, by extension, hers. At first, Joker is apprehensive of EDI, believing that starships can operate well enough without an AI's assistance. However, as time passes their relationship improves, though they pick on each other. After the attack by the Collector Cruiser on the Normandy, EDI states that she and Joker have developed an "equitable working relationship". After the final mission, EDI states that they have developed a kind of platonic relationship, which she surmises is not related to any kind of hormonal attraction on Joker's part. This is reflected in how they address each other- at first EDI calls Joker "Mr. Moreau", but later starts calling him Jeff, and Joker at times responds to EDI as "mom", reflecting his viewpoint of the relationship. After the Collector attack, Joker also begins referring to EDI as "her" and not "it".

Once EDI acquires a body, her relationship with Joker develops further. Both EDI and Joker seek advice from Shepard about pursuing a romance. At Shepard's prompting, the two of them will enter into a relationship.

Trivia

 * According to The Art of Mass Effect 3, EDI's body was intended to be the Mass Effect version of Maria from the 1927 science-fiction film Metropolis.
 * When asked why EDI was specifically modelling her behavior on the human species and not asari or other species, EDI answers that she did enquire of Liara about asari mental processes, but Liara did not wish to discuss the matter. She also observes that Liara has become more secretive since she became the Shadow Broker.
 * When Shepard severed ties with Cerberus, the remote surveillance feeds on the Normandy were deactivated (presumably by EDI). When remote reactivation failed, Cerberus tried to reenable EDI's AI shackles. This was also a failure and in retaliation, EDI overwhelmed the attacking servers with a data overload that was composed of seven zettabytes of "explicit images". She also explains that the images belonged to Joker, but when pressed, admits this part was a joke.
 * If EDI is chosen to infiltrate the Geth Dreadnaught alongside Shepard and Tali (mandatory) EDI will still be heard over the intercom despite being physically present.
 * If EDI is brought along during the final charge to the Citadel beam, and Shepard's Effective Military Strength is too low, her body will be disintegrated by Harbinger's attack. Her name will not be added to the Normandy's memorial wall in the Control Ending, since only her physical platform is destroyed, not her systems.
 * During certain points on missions and while talking to her on the Normandy in Mass Effect 2, she will have some unique, if not humorous, dialogue.
 * As she is a squad member in Mass Effect 3 she now has unique dialogue that can be heard at various locations, during missions or assignments, or if a specific squad member is in the selected team.