AI Hacking

This article is about the power in Mass Effect 2. For the Mass Effect talent and its unlockable ability called AI Hacking, see Hacking. For the power that hacks synthetic enemies in Mass Effect 3, see Sabotage.

AI Hacking is a tech power in Mass Effect 2.

Turns synthetic enemies against their own allies.

Power Ranks

• Rank 1 - Temporarily hacks a synthetic enemy to attack its former allies.
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds (Shepard); 12.00 seconds (others)
  • Duration: 5.00 seconds

• Rank 2 - Temporarily hacks a synthetic enemy so it will attack its former allies. Also generates a temporary shield around the hacked target so it can fight more effectively against its allies.
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds (Shepard); 12.00 seconds (others)
  • Duration: 7.00 seconds
  • Shield Strength: 200.00 points

• Rank 3 - Temporarily hacks a synthetic enemy so it will attack its former allies. Also generates a temporary shield around the hacked target so it can fight more effectively against its allies.
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds (Shepard); 12.00 seconds (others)
  • Duration: 9.00 seconds
  • Shield Strength: 350.00 points

Rank 4

Evolves AI Hacking into one of the following options:

Improved AI Hacking

• Your AI Hacking provides the ultimate in shield strength and maintains it for a very long hack duration.
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds (Shepard); 12.00 seconds (others)
  • Duration: 12.00 seconds
  • Shield Strength: 500.00 points

Area AI Hacking

• Your wireless signal is boosted in strength, affecting a wide area to hack multiple synthetics.
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds (Shepard); 12.00 seconds (others)
  • Duration: 9.00 seconds
  • Shield Strength: 350.00 points
  • Impact Radius: 3.00 meters

Player Notes

Mechanics

• Unlike the Hacking talent in Mass Effect, one point of AI Hacking will hack any hackable enemy. It isn't necessary to acquire higher levels in the power to hack more powerful synthetic enemies like Geth Primes. Also, hacked enemies in Mass Effect 2 will never attack Shepard or Shepard's allies while the effect lasts. However, the major downside is that AI Hacking in Mass Effect 2 will only work against synthetics that have had their defenses stripped.
  • Hacked targets will attack other hacked targets, if no unhacked enemy targets are close by.
• Hacked synthetics lose any shield gained from AI Hacking when the hack runs out.
• A hacked target is surrounded by a shimmering orange holographic effect, though this can sometimes be difficult to see on certain targets.
• Only one target can be hacked at a time per user, except with the Area AI Hacking evolution. Casting AI Hacking again immediately cancels any previous active hacks from that user, even with Area AI Hacking.
• Using AI Hacking on a target that is already hacked will refresh the duration of the hack to that of the most recently used AI Hacking; however, note that the shield given to a hacked target with ranks 2-4 of the power will make that target immune to further uses of AI Hacking unless the shield is either destroyed by damage, or the hack wears off, taking the shield with it.
• Hacked synthetics will typically draw fire from several enemies, particularly if those enemies are closer to the hacked synthetic than to the player/squad.
• Hacked synthetics can still be targeted by weapons and powers normally. Squadmates will not attack hacked targets on their own until the hack wears off, though you can directly order them to do so.
• AI Hacking is a tech power and its cooldown and duration can be enhanced by the relevant upgrades.
• An Engineer with level 4 Tech Mastery can keep a single target hacked indefinitely with only a rank 1 AI Hacking. An Agent Infiltrator can do so as well.
• AI Hacking does not cause hostile Combat Drones to attack other enemies or make other enemies target them, though it can stop them in place and prevent them from attacking the player or squadmates. Against the Geth Recon Drones encountered on Haestrom it won't stop them from attacking you or cause them to turn on each other, but it can cause the nearby Geth Primes to target them if close enough.
• The Geth Colossus on Haestrom ignores other geth under the effects of AI Hacking and remains focused on Shepard's squad.

Strategies

• Especially good targets are synthetics that deal a high amount of damage but are still relatively easy to strip protections from such as LOKI Mechs and Geth Rocket Troopers, but almost any target can work well.
• Beware of being too close to especially dangerous hacked enemies such as Geth Destroyers or Geth Hunters when the hack wears off.
• It is advisable to use this power on synthetics located in the rear of a group of enemies. That way, the hacked synthetic will be in a good firing position from the start while the enemies will have to waste time turning around to retaliate. This will also catch enemies in a crossfire and prevent them from taking effective cover.
• A low level AI Hacking is most useful as a way to kill the target by getting nearby enemies to turn on it, but its usefulness as a distraction is low due to the short duration of the hack and because no shields are given to the target. By contrast, targets of high level AI Hacking gain thick shields and will often survive concentrated fire from multiple enemies, distracting even large groups for a long time. In Mass Effect 2, hacked enemies do not gain any resistance to being hacked so the same enemy can potentially be hacked multiple times in succession.

Availability

• Engineer
• Infiltrator
• Tali'Zorah vas Neema
• Legion