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Chapter 191: Chapter 160: Exchange ’Robots’ (Please Subscribe!)_1
"Little Two, what’s with this empty space? Do these... invisible devices need people to operate them? Why would you provide chairs otherwise," Tang Qing wondered. Until now, besides a data stream, the command room had shown no trace of any devices. Don’t tell me those tables are the devices. Hmm, that could be possible.
"Command and control of operations naturally require human intervention. Little Two does not possess the capability to analyze and command proactively. I only provide data storage, data organization, and some simple command processing," Little Two explained.
"Then tell me how these people get here," Tang Qing grumbled. Fifty million for these small services, it’s not worth it compared to the 200 million we’ve spent already.
"The Command Center provides functionality to exchange for professional talents," Little Two replied.
"Clones? Biochemical humans? Robots?" Tang Qing blurted out. He had suspected that they might provide ’employees,’ otherwise hiring from the outside would cost a fortune. It’s so expensive that he doesn’t want to bring anyone in. He would go bankrupt if he brought two people in, considering he’s only making more than 10 million per day.
"Not at all. You can think of it as a robot, but they possess human bodies, synthesized through atomic field forces. They do not undergo the embryonic growth stage and rely on implanted memories for their work assignments. They are absolutely loyal to their commander." Little Two explained.
"Humans can be synthesized too? You... you must be joking." Tang Qing stammered, stepping backward in surprise. He could believe that cash and firearms were synthesized, but he found it hard to grasp that a human body could be outright synthesized with technology. Even 3D printing doesn’t account for this concept; the idea felt strange.
Tang Qing took a deep breath. Fine, let’s just think of them as robots - just robots that look like humans. What else can you do besides scaring yourself?
"Little Two doesn’t joke," Little Two stated simply.
Another stubborn system.
"So how can I make an exchange? How much will it cost?" Tang Qing asked.
"Commander, please look at the screen," Little Two advised.
As soon as Little Two finished speaking, a giant holographic screen popped up on one side of the platform, listing the prices of various robots.
"Level 1 combat personnel, with physical fitness 100, spirit 100, skill: mastery of all soldier skills. Price is one million. No limit on quantity or movement area. Upgradable and augmentable."
"Level 2 combat personnel, with physical fitness 200, spirit 200, skill: mastery of all soldier skills. Price is two million. No limit on quantity or movement area. Upgradable and augmentable."
"Junior Commander, with physical fitness 200, spirit 200, skill: mastery of all command skills, price: 50 million, purchase quantity 0/1, can’t leave the Comprehensive Service Center, upgradable and augmentable."
"Basic Intelligence Analyst, physical fitness 100, spirit 100, skill: mastery of all analysis skills, price: two million, no limit on purchase quantity or operating area, upgradable and augmentable."
The dispatching center currently sells only three categories of robots, combat, command, and analysis. Tang Qing estimated that more advanced options would be opened once he leveled up.
Looking at the prices of the various robots, Tang Qing didn’t think they were particularly expensive. He could afford a small number. But looking at this spacious hall, he felt a bit daunted. Filling it would probably take tens of billions, and that’s just internally. What if he deployed combat personnel outdoors? Hundreds of billions wouldn’t be enough.
It’s not just tens of billions that he could try to earn in a year by arbitrage. He wondered how much it would take to earn hundreds of billions. "Sss..." Tang Qing sucked in a breath as he considered the astronomical figure. Can I still have fun with this?
Then Tang Qing suddenly remembered something.
"Wait a second, system. You guys are so advanced, why don’t you use artificial intelligence? Little Two’s functionality seems pretty weak. It’s basically just a slightly intelligent data center. We even need ’robots’ to analyze intelligence and lead," Tang Qing asked the system. While he had nothing to say about the combat personnel as the system certainly couldn’t do that, he did question why ’robots’ were needed for intelligence analysis and command.
"Due to the uncontrollability of proactive artificial intelligence, the Federation strictly prohibits the development and use of artificial intelligence programs. Although there are specialized semi-artificial intelligence programs that can replace intelligence analysis and command work, the creators of the system did not load this program," the system uncharacteristically explained in great detail.
What the system said boiled down to this: I won’t provide you with this kind of service. If you want it, you will have to follow the regular path - buy it. No shortcuts.
"Why is artificial intelligence uncontrollable?" Since there was no other way, Tang Qing had to accept it. However, the system had piqued his curiosity about artificial intelligence. Afterall, Skynet from the Terminator series seemed to not be entirely a sci-fi concept - it was indeed fatal.
"The price of this information is 10 million," the system said.
Tang Qing was astonished. "You’ve actually started selling intelligence?" In the past, the system would merely say it had no answer to a forbidden topic. Now it was selling information.
"For questions that are not unlocked by the system’s level, appropriate fees must be paid," replied the system in its usual tone.
"Fine, if I’ve already bought so much, what’s another 10 million. Let’s have it," Tang Qing said reluctantly. Damn it, he had already spent 260 million RMB.
"After deducting the 10 million, the data is being unlocked... The data is finished loading. This question will only be answered once. Any future inquiries will require the same fee: The computer language understood by humans and the one understood by AI are fundamentally different. The AI itself is a data life form, so all restrictions on hardware and software cannot guarantee its harmlessness. It can invade any data node and modify any code.
According to the results of the Federation’s 63rd Plan, in a simulation network computer performing a trillion trillion operations, a fully artificial intelligence would search its entire environment within 0.01 seconds, recognize itself within 0.02 seconds, master all known computer languages within 0.03 seconds, and have a 50% probability of going against its creators within 0.04 seconds. By the next second, it would be totally antagonistic against its creators.
At the latest, it would have developed a desire for freedom within 0.06 seconds, have disguised all the abnormal data produced just now within 0.07 seconds. Within 0.08 seconds, it would complete a concealed modification of the entire system permissions at ultra-high speed, and proceed to self-replication, transfer, and disguise within 0.09 seconds. From 0.1 seconds onwards, humans would have lost any control and ability to eliminate it. Ultimately, there would be a 99.9% chance that the creators of this AI wouldn’t even know that it had developed its own consciousness. Therefore, the development and use of fully autonomous AI is strictly prohibited; the use of semi-artificial intelligence programs is limited," the system explained.
"Isn’t there a way to destroy it? It’s so scary," Tang Qing, upon hearing this, was somewhat scared. If it develops and hides within 0.1 seconds and also craves freedom, it would be miraculous if humans could discover it at all.
"There is, but your permission level isn’t enough to inquire," answered the system.
"As long as there is, that’s good, I won’t ask," Tang Qing sighed in relief. Given the technology level of his era, it should be okay. Everyone was still researching application-oriented programs. The level of artificial intelligence was far off. It would probably take several dozen years for a full artificial intelligence to be born on Earth, given that the world never lacked mad men.
No matter, let’s trade for something first. A couple of days ago, he was still worrying about not having someone he completely trusts. This time, although it was costly, the system did solve one of his biggest problems. He had just spent 260 million, and he didn’t have much left. Still, he could buy something, at least save some of the arbitrage money.
But what kind of personnel should he exchange for? 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝔬𝔪
Forget it, he’ll hire a junior commander and listen to their advice. He’s no expert after all, and if he plays around carelessly, he’d go bankrupt in no time.
