Electronic Video Agent

EVA is an acronym for Electronic Video Agent. EVA is the GDI artificial intelligence handling information about all GDI activities around the globe.

History
EVA was first designed and conceived of by the Global Defense Initiative, as a way for distant commanders to be able to control and receive information from the battlefield in real time. Basically, in the beginning it was a voice that was attached to an extremely powerful communications uplink. This allowed distant commanders to take control of developing situations anywhere in the world instantly. Later, this was combined with the Kodiak command craft, so that GDI commanders could also be on site as quickly as possible as well. It is believed that this was also done so that GDI commanders could be as safe as possible as well.

Although traditionally a GDI technology, the Brotherhood used EVA technology in the past as well. During the First Tiberium War Nod used EVA to brief their commanders as well as to maintain control of battles in real time. Rumors abound of Nod hacking into GDI's EVA software, thus allowing commanders loyal to GDI to switch loyalties. In any case, they were working on their own more advanced artificial intelligence - CABAL which they were testing in Kane's temple. However, this test was less than a success due to damage that the unit sustained, as well as the subsequent destruction of the temple. At the end of the Second Tiberium War during the Firestorm Crisis, the Brotherhood used EVA once again because CABAL had turned against them, and they needed an artificial intelligence to coordinate their massive forces.

Description
Although a computer, EVA was programmed with a human voice for better communication with commanders, and possessed the very latest voice recognition technology, recognizing orders even when the commanders in question were angry or otherwise strangely modulating their voices. Furthermore, it appears that at some point between 1995 and 2030, GDI was able to crack the Turing test (note that CABAL, being a computer assisted biological lifeform, does not actually count as an example of the Turing test being cracked.)

EVA itself consisted of a number of individual EVA units, which were responsible for the running of a specific sector or base, as well as global EVA hubs - the Philadelphia's EVA unit and the EVA unit at Southern Cross being two examples of this. Physically, the EVA unit was a very powerful supercomputer capable of processing the communications of an entire army. It was also capable of real time signal processing, automatic opening and closing of secured channels, and even massive data processing. At one point, a commander even asked EVA to turn CABAL off, and EVA attempted to comply.

Uses
In addition to controlling the C3I (Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence), of GDI forces, EVA could also think blindingly fast, assist in the tracing of calls, calculate the best options for attacking bases, which might include secondary missions that weakened a primary target, coordinate the ion cannon network and all battlefield communications, and serve as a videoconferencing conduit. One of the greatest achievements of EVA's builders and designers was to keep the EVA network functioning during an ion storm. As several critical missions occurred while ion storms were present, GDI commanders were grateful for this fact.

It should be noted that most of this functionality was developed between the Second Tiberium War and the First Tiberium War. At the time of the First Tiberium War, the EVA network did not have the extremely powerful data analysis capabilities it was later given, and served primarily as a data communications link and user interface between distant commanders and the troops they commanded.