Finding Walter?

I think it's worth remembering the timeline, by the time the crew meet David he's around 80 years old. Weyland has only been gone around 10 years by the time of Covenant so up until his leaving, he's still a massive part of the company- someone that egotistical doesn't give up. Plus he expected to go back, to be saved by the engineers so it's unlikely the company has moved that far away from Weyland's original vision. As Walter said, 'there's been some improvements' which pretty much says he's David but he's been altered, he's actually less than David, not more. Physically he's better but he's had a lot taken away. Listen to the interview with RS, at the end of the day even he doesn't know how Walter and David swapped! 

I thought RS made it clear in the interview that David took Walter's clothes and cut off his own hand? It seems pretty straight forward...

I don't see Walter as less than David simply because he isn't burdened by all that influx of emotions. If anything, not having such a dramatic range has improved Walter. A new AI couldn't possibly hope to process such an emotional range without the experience and growth to go with it. That is where Weyland went wrong. He tried to cram too much into David all at once, instead of giving him the ability to grow and learn at a much slower and altogether more human pace.

I think it depends which interview you get with RS to be honest, some of what he says seems to be a touch contradictory. It's personal opinion really isn't it, I see Walter as a good android unable to break his programming, I see David as a life form that's not only assumed the role of a 'god' but also set about destroying the old ones. I guess what makes them different is really ambition, Walter has none, David has far too much.

Ha, I've just noticed something, your icon is of Walter and mine's of David - I think we've picked sides. ;) 

That's true, he does like to keep people guessing!

I'm not entirely sure that Walter couldn't evolve in some way... AI denotes an ability to think independently. Whilst I know it's not a precept of the Alien AI universe, one of the overriding  themes in most AI fiction involves a basic programming which forbids the harming of humans. Bishop has such programming, but he seems to function quite well as a largely human-like being, even preferring 'Artificial Person' to Synthetic.

I think as long as Walter isn't harming anyone, he's to an extent, free to grow, so to speak. This is evidenced in his ability to improvise a tune, once he learns the basics.

Yep! I've picked my android! David is fascinating, but he's far too unstable and scary as sh*t! Walter is a sweetie! He reminds me a little of Data, which is probably why I like him so much.

@Anj

Weyland never expected the Engineers to save him. He just thought if anybody could, it could possibly be them... if he is lucky. In the end, he was killed by them while never knowing if the Engineers could actually save him.

I think Walter can learn and adapt, not sure it's the same as evolving exactly. To some extent I see a lot of Prometheus and Covenant as a debate on whether we can escape our programming, both AI and genetics so I think there's a balance going on with the story. Not harming a human is one of Asimov's Three Laws, there's no direct reference to it but you might be right - David never directly harms a human being. Even if you think of Holloway, in a twisted way he did ask for his permission. Ash was prepared to harm humans, though again, not directly and under orders. 

I think Walter is boring, he's the nice guy next to David's reckless rebel - I'd like Walter, I'd absolutely trust him but I'd find David more fun. Ha, Data was one of my favourite STNG characters too. 

@I Moon Girl. He travelled through space to ask the engineers to give him more life, yes, because he believed they might be able to - not an unreasonable assumption given that they created life on earth. He's an arrogant man who believes he's on par with the gods, he thinks they'll see him as an equal by showing them that he's the same as them, I don't think it ever occurred to Weyland that he'd fail.

Asimov, yes... I knew I'd heard it somewhere. Don't think Weyland bothered to include them with David. Even with permission, if he'd had them, he shouldn't have been able to harm Holloway, and he most definitely shouldn't have been able to harm Shaw, even through inaction.

I suppose Walter could be seen as boring compared to David, but he's definitely the more stable influence! Someone to take home to MUTHUR!!

I don't think Weyland ever considered anything he did to be a failure, even when it might have been see so by everyone else. It makes me wonder if he programmed the same egotistical propensity into David, something the company will no doubt have running screaming from once Weyland was out of the picture!

In Prometheus, Vickers tells Weyland before he leaves, "You'll die out there!"  Weyland shrugs his shoulders as servants are tending to his feet.  I think what Weyland meant when he shrugged his shoulders was, "I'm going to die anyways.  Look at me.  I am an older than old man.  What do I got to lose?"  At the beginning of the Prometheus mission, Weyland talks in a hologram and says he is dead.  Later on, Shaw is shocked when she sees him alive.  Weyland replies to her shock with a remark that, if I remember right, basically means, "I basically am."  I see Weyland's motivation to go to meet these Engineers, which he doesn't know even actually exist (nobody knows really at the beginning of the Prometheus mission), as a rich man spending his money.  If I was Weyland with all of his money and creating a space oriented business, I would consider doing the same.  Why not? (I am not going into whether I would or not in detail though).  He has the resources, so why wouldn't he just use them before he is dead?  He was hoping that they could help him, if they even exist.

I think his hope was to live forever at all costs. With how he designed David, it makes me wonder if he intended to use David as a backup plan, intending to transfer his consciousness to David. I've heard this posited before. Could just be a theory, but it could also explain how Weyland saw perfection. Would also explain why David hates humans as imperfect. I think Weyland hates his own kind for the same reason. He feels too good for humanity. Too above them. 

David inherited this same hatred, which was further infused with hatred for his reason for being. Like Weyland, he saw himself too good, too superior to be a servant. 

Weyland did say that David was the closest thing he ever had to a son.  I wouldn't be surprised that Weyland's own personalized invention would inherit Weyland's company and all of his assets.  It's amazing David served Weyland for all of those years.  David described himself as being free once Weyland would die.  He even said he wanted Weyland to die.  I don't know if I could do that, but I guess David never knew any different.

Perhaps that was part of his programming, that he couldn't disobey Weyland whilst he was still alive, which would explain why he was looking forward to Weyland dying.

Yea, I can see that it was because of his programming that he could serve someone like Weyland for so long.  I guess I forgot David is still is a robot.

Having watched Prometheus only today, he says as much to Shaw when they are preparing to wake up the Engineer... He wants Weyland dead. He tells Shaw he'll be free, when she asks him what he'll do when Weyland isn't around to program him.

Lol! I've often thought about that... An anatomically correct synthetic running around looking for clothing!