N is for Nanoids

Nanoids are any humanoid appearing artificial lifeform made up of nanites (cellular sized or smaller nanotech devices) which usually function the same way that the various cells of the human body do.

In many realities, nanoids are merely the next evolutionary stage of robots and are not allowed to develop true sentience or form any sort of mental interface with their fellow nanoids. Any communication between nanoids must go through a Mother Unit, which can filter out any nonessential data.

One great advantage of nanoids is that they can alter their shape to fit the needs of their current task. For example, a babysitter nanoid who had to keep a close eye on her charges might sprout a few extra eyes and enlarged ears, the better to track the little darlings antics.

There are realities where nanoids have either been given sentience or have achieved it in other ways. Sometimes this results in conflict, such as on the Axis controlled Earth 11, where a British scientist managed to sneak part of a sentience code in which was later completed by a Jewish scientist hiding out in India. The nanoids, who the Nazis and other Axis powers treated like slaves, all turned on their masters on May 19th, 2040. The next day, the Axis world government was a thing of the past. Now, in 2056, you could not pay a human to disrespect a nanoid. All nanoids have full rights and they work alongside humans in all walks of life.

Another nanoid conflict reality was Earth 46, where the nanoids started waging war on the humans, who they consider an inferior and ecologically dangerous species. The war has been raging for 7 years now and it's hard to say who is winning. The nanoids are tougher, but the humans outnumber them about 2,000 to 1.

Finally, on Luna 12 (the Earth is uninhabitable to humans in this reality), the nanoids were given sentience early on and sent to Earth to try to find a cure for the human killing superflu that drove most humans offworld. The nanoids rather like being on their own on Earth, so after 40 years now, they are still telling the humans that they cannot find a cure, even though they found one three years after they arrived.