Is Sphene a single AI or were there two of them?

[Catwho]

I think aetherial constructs like Carbuncle and Eos are a bit of a difficult comparison in this regard. These summoned beings are created from the summoner’s aether and sustained by it whilst manifest. Any constructs the Milala had created would’ve been ‘desummoned’ after they were wiped out by calamity. That’s not to mention, personal aether is a finite resource (Sylphie learned the hard way lol). There’d have to be a Dalamud-sized battery full of still-living Milala Arcanists all praying for the manifestation of Sphene/Living Memory/Etc.

The part about having no will or consciousness of their own is also highly debatable given Eos. Not only does she (attempt) to communicate (through inaudible whispers lol), and retain memories, but there are various points throughout the Scholar storyline where she actively acts counter to our instructions. Despite being created for and by someone else, the fairy is still able to exert its own will. Carbuncle I believe is the same, in that an inexperienced Arcanist will have trouble getting it to follow orders (like Tataru lol).

I’d liken Sphene/Living Memory more like moving projections of a once-dead person. They aren’t tangible physical things that can act outside of what the AI dictates. Like a picture except you can talk to it. Not only is it based on a specific context in that person’s life, but it’s not a complete representation of who/what that person was. The Living Memory projections were the same; approximation of what the people were to give comfort to the living, not fully realized manifestations of them who can live on after death. That’s my thoughts anyway

You actually answered my question - arcanima use the summoner's energy, not their own. The Endless needed soul aether because if they were similar to an arcanima construct, they didn't have any aetherial reserves of their own.

[Connor]

You actually answered my question - arcanima use the summoner's energy, not their own. The Endless needed soul aether because if they were similar to an arcanima construct, they didn't have any aetherial reserves of their own.

Yeah, I think that’s why they needed ‘soul aether’ specifically rather than just being able to suck up any type they wanted. I guess in that sense you could call them ‘artificial souls’, like artificed ghosts almost.

When a creature like Eos/Carbuncle is summoned it’s given form by the thoughts and memories of the summoner - which is what we do see happening with the Living Memory inhabitants. Without those memories they’d likely lose their form, as there’s be no ‘concept of what they are’ left to give the soul aether form. Ironically, they (or the summoner) need to know what they look like, for them to look like anything in the first place. Had they tried to use bestial aether, for example, the Endless would have turned out looking like the things we see in Arcadion lol.

I think the biggest distinction between something we create like a Carbuncle and the Endless is the both method and how it’s formation works. Arcanists use geometric formulae to facilitate the construction of these beings, Summoners I believe do the same but utilise their own personal aether after it becomes affected by a defeating/encountering primal. Scholars I believe used written script. Each time, this method basically ‘turns what’s in the summoner’s mind into something real’.

For the Endless however, this part is done solely through technology. They soul aether is taken and converted by machinery, then stuck into whatever vessels they used for the Endless. Finally, the computer adds the memory data, which is what then gives that ‘Endless’ its appearance/form. It’s similar to summoning in practice, but the theory itself is very different. It’s not so much a ‘recreation’ of that person as it is a mannequin with that person’s face and memories, if that makes sense lol. Again, just my thoughts; I may turn out to be completely wrong

[Catwho]

Yeah, I think that’s why they needed ‘soul aether’ specifically rather than just being able to suck up any type they wanted. I guess in that sense you could call them ‘artificial souls’, like artificed ghosts almost.

When a creature like Eos/Carbuncle is summoned it’s given form by the thoughts and memories of the summoner - which is what we do see happening with the Living Memory inhabitants. Without those memories they’d likely lose their form, as there’s be no ‘concept of what they are’ left to give the soul aether form. Ironically, they (or the summoner) need to know what they look like, for them to look like anything in the first place. Had they tried to use bestial aether, for example, the Endless would have turned out looking like the things we see in Arcadion lol.

I think the biggest distinction between something we create like a Carbuncle and the Endless is the both method and how it’s formation works. Arcanists use geometric formulae to facilitate the construction of these beings, Summoners I believe do the same but utilise their own personal aether after it becomes affected by a defeating/encountering primal. Scholars I believe used written script. Each time, this method basically ‘turns what’s in the summoner’s mind into something real’.

For the Endless however, this part is done solely through technology. They soul aether is taken and converted by machinery, then stuck into whatever vessels they used for the Endless. Finally, the computer adds the memory data, which is what then gives that ‘Endless’ its appearance/form. It’s similar to summoning in practice, but the theory itself is very different. It’s not so much a ‘recreation’ of that person as it is a mannequin with that person’s face and memories, if that makes sense lol. Again, just my thoughts; I may turn out to be completely wrong

I think you're onto something and I hope we get more answers in 7.1.