Computers play a vital role in the organization and maintenance of New Washington and the rest of the world as well. The development and practice of Technomancy has affected the computing world in myriad ways, only some of which are easily defined and tangible.
The heart of computing in New Washington is the Datasoul, a very inexpensive piece of equipment carried by any remotely computer-savvy citygoer. A Datasoul is little more than a storage unit for data and is approximately the size of an early 20th-century flash thumbdrive. This piece of equipment contains all of the crucial data a user needs to have, as well as the software he or she owns. Most computers in the AoC are 'shells', conglomerations of equipment into which a Datasoul breathes life. They contain only the most crucial operating system data and the means to a Datasoul's end-- to provide a personal computer available wherever its user goes. Even information concerning interface, appearance and configuration is contained on a Datasoul; the computer shell makes interaction with a Datasoul possible by simply plugging it in and powering the shell. Many computer users do not own a shell, and some have only a PDA-sized portable shell for use on the streets and on the road that acts also as a mobile telephone; more serious gaming, programming and utilities is done via public shells. The level of data security on a Datasoul varies from user to user; some users carry or own several Datasouls and most back theirs up on a remote copy at home. Datasoul encryption is a standard practice, which is effective to varying degrees depending on the cost of the encryption and the aptitude of the user.
The Internet is still a global phenomenon, but it holds a unique place in the culture of New Washington. Due to the city's relatively small size, access to wireless networking is more or less universal. All public areas in New Washington have some degree of Ether, the colloquial term for wireless internet access. Buildings have considerably less coverage, but most maintain their own field that can be very closely controlled by property managers. Ether is considered a basic utility, much like power and water.
The Internet itself is still, surprisingly, ruled largely by New Washingtonians. The sheer volume of Technomancy within the city has allowed the American culture to maintain its death grip on the information technology of the world, and other international entities play a much smaller role. The world wide web still exists in a very similar form to the one that was established in the late 20th century, and there are also “living spaces” that allow users to interact via 3D avatars and virtual reality technology. These spaces are almost exclusively for recreation; serious computer users continue to prefer textual representations of the internet. Gaming has used the “living space” technology to great end; the best representation is a game known as “One Must Fall” wherein the users are placed in the bodies of virtual robots and pitted against one another in arena combat (though in New Washington, tournaments are held with actual giant robots).
Attempts at Artificial Intelligence creation have, throughout the Age of Corporations, remained largely unsuccessful. Though AIs certainly exist in the form of the “machine soul” creations of Technomancers, serious programmers do not recognize these creations as actual programmed Artificial Intelligence creations, since they are regarded as an extension of the user's soul and personality. Rumors abound concerning AI efforts, as many exist that are a mystery to New Washington society. A series of regulatory AIs known as “lurkers” patrol the Ether for subversive content and identities, providing worthy foes for the legions of hackers that manipulate the internet to their own ends. It has been postulated that the criminal journalist Rogue Jaguar is an AI as well, though these claims have never been substantiated. Rumors of AI experiments are frequent, and it is supposed that someday one shall succeed.