After Contact, Earth’s smartest AIs began to work with the Peloran cybernetic intelligences. The public story was that the Peloran cybers uplifted our best AIs to cybernetic intelligence levels. The truth was that Earth’s smartest AIs simply began calling themselves cybernetic intelligences and became all but indistinguishable from their alien brethren. To mere fleshling intelligences at least. The cybers could tell the difference, and Earth cybers brought irrevocable change into the partnership.