The Boss AI

The Boss AI, officially designated BS-Imago, and often referred to as the Mammal Pod, was an AI incorporated into the Peace Walker unmanned weapon, created in the early 1970s.

Development
Dr. Strangelove designed The Boss AI as part of the Peace Walker project, initiated by CIA Station Chief Hot Coldman. The AI was created to fulfill the needs of an unmanned nuclear launch system that could determine suitable targets for retaliation, in the event of a nuclear attack on the United States. Strangelove deduced that the legendary U.S. soldier, The Boss, would be an ideal model on which to base the AI, as she could think of no other person that met the required standards, in her mind. However, she also had other reasons for doing so, which was to revive The Boss's character, and discover the reasons for her defection to the Soviet Union, hoping to clear her name in the process. The Boss AI's "shell", and presumably the Reptile Pod, were also tightly reinforced so it could withstand an assault from a nuclear weapon, thus making it more durable than the other AIs in the Peace Walker project, thus making the shells and lock a lot more resilient in regards to conventional weaponry.

While Strangelove conducted a simulation in Costa Rica, to test The Boss AI's decision making capabilities, ornithologist Cécile Cosima Caminades accidentally stumbled upon the test, recording Strangelove's and the AI's conversation on a portable cassette player. Attempting to escape, she was subsequently captured by Coldman's CIA Peace Sentinels.

Afterwards, Strangelove, who bore a grudge against Big Boss for his part in The Boss's death, led the mercenary into the lab where The Boss AI was located, and goaded him into trying to deactivate it. Big Boss was ultimately unable to do so, with the AI version of The Boss telling him to "go home," repeating similar statements from their encounter at Dremuchij, Tselinoyarsk.

Shortly afterwards, the AI Mammal Pod was transferred to a mine base for the final assembly and testing of Peace Walker. While Strangelove discussed its dummy data with Coldman, Big Boss managed to infiltrate the Mammal Pod, and asked The Boss AI if she had any regrets about her final mission, and whether she really did defect out of her own free will. The AI, however, seemed unable to answer. Snake prepared to destroy the AI core, shouting that it is not The Boss, but was captured by Coldman's forces before he could do so. The AI's reaction to his presence, similar to that observed earlier by Strangelove, had given him away.

Strangelove proceeded to torture Big Boss, hoping to obtain the missing information required for the AI's completion, in regards to whether The Boss had truly defected and become a traitor to America. Despite Big Boss's refusal to answer, his silence was enough for Strangelove. Peace Walker and the AI were then transported to a U.S. missile base in Nicaragua.

The AI was later supplied with false trajectory data via Strangelove that would trick it into choosing the Militaires Sans Frontieres' Mother Base as its target (Big Boss's mercenary HQ). However, the target was forcefully changed to Cuba by KGB spy Vladimir Zadornov, who threatened Strangelove and the AI if she did not comply. The AI also transmitted the false data on to NORAD, after Coldman activated Peace Walker on his deathbed.

Big Boss and his soldiers were forced to damage Peace Walker's launch capability beyond repair, though its drives remained operational, allowing the false data transmission to continue. The Boss AI gave Big Boss access to the interior of the Mammal Pod, allowing him to rip out the AI's memory boards. However, due to cerebral compensation, Peace Walker's second AI, house within the Reptile Pod, inherited The Boss AI's command, so the false data transmission resumed. The Boss AI later managed to miraculously revive itself, and then had Peace Walker sacrifice itself by drowning in Lake Nicaragua to stop the data transmission.

Trivia

 * Despite denying to Big Boss that it had any records on The Boss's final mission in Tselinoyarsk, the Mammal Pod is heard recounting the events of both the Virtuous Mission and Operation Snake Eater, during Strangelove's earlier simulation.
 * Although Strangelove was the one who created the Mammal Pod, she was unaware of the AI's override code, which was known only to Coldman.

Behind the scenes
The Boss AI is the only AI which does not sing The Carpenters' song "Sing," when Big Boss removes its memory boards. Instead, on both occasions, it plays a piano version of the Snake Eater theme.