What do the Vons actually use computers for? You mentioned that they used them as “tools” instead of treating them as “companions” can you further iterate on this please?
Well, that rather suggests an attitude more like how we treat computers (out here, in the “real world”) than the Imperial norm. But that’s just my shaky guess.
I think you meant “AIs” or “digisapiences”, not “computers”.
Everybody uses non-sophont computers as tools, it would be practically impossible to run a spacefaring civilization without them.
That’s what he said: computers
Now, The empires “computers as companions” part probably refers to having AI as partners, so I think he refers to both polities overall attitude towards computer technology in his post In The Shiny Brightness of the Far Future… | The Eldraeverse, which I forgot to mention