Board Thread:Speculation House/@comment-4830106-20140806180925/@comment-14909251-20140824165643

The CCT AI establishes that machines with a modest level of intelligence are not uncommon in Remnant. Putting that level of intelligence in an android is hardly a complicated task and thus it is probably not some recent significant breakthrough Ironwood would need to advertise to anyone. What makes Penny unique is much more than just intelligence. She acts human, at least to the extent that most would not immediately suspect her of being an android. She is inquisitive, creative, and develops emotional bonds. Mind you, when Penny revealed that she was an android, Ruby was more surprised at Penny specifically being an android rather than the whole android concept.

Nothing about the sandy-haired girl's interaction with Weiss would inherently suggest significantly advanced intelligence beyond what could be reproduced by a sub-Penny level AI. Here in the real world we have artifical intelligence capable of asking mundane questions and some can even read emotions to an extent so as to better calculate an appropriate response. They have still not designed sentient artificial intelligence, though.

Were they to change the eye color intentionally, while making it the same character, they would also have time to change the eye color in the intro given that the episode would have presumably been finished before the premiere of Volume 2, but they did not make any change there. The other problem is that communications operator seems like a pretty mundane job at the Schnee Dust Company, while being at Ironwood's side in the intro suggests a far more important role within the military. It makes the thought of them being the same character rather questionable.

If they used a standard model then there is no reason for the eye color to be different either. Again, though, why use a standard model for two separate roles that are presumably going to have some prominence when obscure one-off pedestrians get unique models? It is not like the Atlesian soldiers where their uniforms basically mean it does not matter if they use a standard model. The moment a green-eyed, sandy-haired girl shows up beside Ironwood and is clearly a different character audiences will cry foul.