In the near future when an upgraded police droid becomes able to think and feel, it must learn to survive in a violent world where everyone wants to exploit its humanoid consciousness.

Agree: "becomes sentient" ?is ?more concise.

>>Does it matter that it's the ?near? future? If it's a police droid we know it's in the future already.

Good point. ?So:

When a police droid is upgraded and becomes sentient, it must learn to survive in a violent world where everyone wants to exploit its humanoid consciousness.
(26 words versus 32 in the 1st version)

Agree: "becomes sentient" ?is ?more concise.

>>Does it matter that it's the ?near? future? If it's a police droid we know it's in the future already.

Good point. ?So:

When a police droid is upgraded and becomes sentient, it must learn to survive in a violent world where everyone wants to exploit its humanoid consciousness.
(26 words versus 32 in the 1st version)

You could lighten things up on the front end,

"In the near future, when ?police droid..."

or even shorten to

"When a police droid..."

Does it matter that it's the "near" future? If it's a police droid we know it's in the future already.

Also ?with the phrase "becomes sentient", ?you could cut down on the word count.

S