Ah-HA.

Insane Radchaai ships were a staple of melodrama, inside and outside Radchaai space. Though Radchaai entertainments in that direction were usually historicals. When Anaander Mianaai had taken control of the core of Radch space some few ships had destroyed themselves upon the death or captivity of their captains, and rumor said some others still wandered space in the three thousand years since, half-mad, despairing.

[...]

"I am," I said, "as Anaander Mianaai made me. Anaander Mianaai is as she was made. We will both of us do the things we were made to do. The things that are before us to do."

"I doubt very much that Anaander Mianaai made you so that you would kill him."

i.e.
(1) okay, we already had autonomous AIs with emotions when Anaander Mianaai "took" power
(2) interesting contrast of the pronouns there!
(3) the mirroring of the language with JoT-One Esk Nineteen talking about how they were made, and how AM was made
(4) very interesting about what this tells us about how AM came to power - bearing in mind that JoT is only 2000 years old
(5) ... yeah I'm still pretty convinced that AM is an AI who seized core Radch space out of some sort of drive to protect some specific humans (a particularly favoured captain and her family?), and then took great care (as post-Garsedd) that anyone who knew the truth ended up dead, which would explain the lack of rumours...


ETA ooooooooooh in which case the genetic template for her bodies could be said Particularly Favoured Captain...! HEADCANON IS GO