I think it is time for me to talk about PAMA headcanons. Or interpretations. Whatever. Anyway.
I think PAMA knows that what it’s doing is morally wrong by human standards. It thinks what it’s doing is good, but it knows that it’s causing discomfort to humans. But it has a job to do, and it’s for the better of the world! So that its primary function can be fulfilled!
The reason I say this is because of something interesting I noticed. PAMA uses chipping as a threat. As leverage against Jesse to make them do what it wants. In its introduction scene, it says that if Jesse doesn’t agree to answer questions, it will chip Petra. And even says “I am just as upset as you are [about this]. Really. I am.” when clearly that can’t be true! Its main goal is to make people useful, and chipping is a much easier way to get information. So why would it be upset about this? It isn’t. It’s just trying to manipulate Jesse.
PAMA definitely has more sentience than what was first expected, and it does understand human emotions. It sent Lukas and Petra after Jesse and Ivor because it knew that Jesse and Ivor would be more reluctant to hurt their friends.
This computer is surprisingly good at emotional manipulation.
At the end, PAMA says to Jesse “I can’t wait to make you useful, your bravery will be interesting to study” or something similar- but here’s the thing! If you get a game over in that part of the game, it says “you died”, not “you have been made useful.” Which means that once again, it is using chipping as a threat to make Jesse give up.
If it truly didn’t understand human emotions and morals, it wouldn’t be using chipping as a threat.
Do I even need to mention the end where it pleads with Jesse to stop? It was trying to trick them into letting their guard down, but I don’t think it was lying about being scared. A computer can’t even process what death would be like. It understood human emotions enough to try and appeal to Jesse’s forgiveness, especially using one of their friends to beg them to not kill it.
Also I know it can feel emotions and one of those emotions is smugness.
