EDI

EDI (pronounced 'Eee-Dee' [ˈiː.diː]), which stands for Enhanced Defense Intelligence, is the AI of the Normandy SR-2 and is represented visually by a holographic floating 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.

EDI is voiced by Tricia Helfer.

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. It is only later in the game, after acquisition of the Reaper IFF and its integration with the SR-2's systems, that 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 will also reveal 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" later in the game, 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.

At the end of the game, Shepard has the choice to defy the Illusive Man and leave Cerberus. If this is the case, the issue of the numerous tracking and monitoring devices Cerberus has on the Normandy is not elaborated on, although it appears that Shepard has earned EDI's loyalty and, as an AI (now having full access to the ship), she would seem to be free to stop sending reports to the Illusive Man.

Weapon proficiencies

 * Submachine Guns
 * Heavy Pistols

Powers

 * Class: Unshackled AI
 * Incinerate
 * Overload
 * Defense Matrix
 * Decoy

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 so that the Alliance engineers would not remove her.

On Mars, Shepard's team recovers the Cerberus synthetic, 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.

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, specifically, 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. 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 can't do a thing with it".

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. During a subsequent conversation, she questions Shepard about the meaning of synthetic life, and states her belief 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; she then comments that they are not alone in that mindset, possibly alluding to the Geth and their decision to serve the Reapers.

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.

EDI is presumably destroyed if Shepard chooses to destroy all synthetic life at the conclusion of the game. However, if Shepard chooses the control or synthesis endings, EDI will be present with Joker for the ending cutscene if Shepard had motivated them to be together before.

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 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.

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.

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 the game progresses 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", most of which were Joker's (revealed to be 'a joke' by her in that same conversation).
 * During certain points on missions and while talking to her on the Normandy, she will have some unique, if not humorous dialogue.