Remote-operated shell with no onboard cognition. A human operator controls the unit through a VR/AR interface. Used where human judgement is required but human presence is dangerous, and for fighting, as seen on the hit show "Golem Gladiators". The head module is square and functional: minimal stereo cameras for 3D perception, microphone arrays, and a speaker, just enough for the operator to see, hear, and speak through the unit.
Preprogrammed for simple, repetitive tasks, with enough autonomy to handle basics like navigating around obstacles. It has no real decision-making capability; faced with something outside its programming it improvises, with results that range from adequate to comically inept. The head module carries an advanced sensor suite: better cameras, audio pickups, and communication equipment, clearly mechanical but more sophisticated than a TeleGolem's.
Truly sentient. It cannot be programmed; it must be trained, instructed, or persuaded like any thinking being, and is capable of learning, adapting, and independent judgement. The head module is built from thousands of tiny moving parts, obviously mechanical and capable of genuine facial expression; it sidesteps the uncanny valley by not attempting to look human. Classified as property under UN commercial regulation, a status the United Workers Council rejects.
Folklore. Spacer tales speak of ancient Golems with superhuman intelligence and origins predating modern civilisation. Persistent rumours insist their heads are built from some kind of nanobot swarm, letting them reshape their faces at will, looking like any of the other Golem types, or even completely human. The same stories claim their default appearance is that of an animal, which conspiracy theorists take as proof they were originally someone's pets. No verified Golem Prime has ever been documented, and Kalmon Kinematics officially denies their existence.