AI Artist - Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Two film crews were recruiting robots.
One was a xianxia drama looking for cyber spirit beasts; the other was a historical drama filming the history of the war between AIs and humans, which also needed some robot actors.
Shi Er found Si Wen and showed it the casting calls. “You could apply to be an actor. You can try out for both crews.”
Si Wen was a little insecure. “But I’m not very good at acting. I’ve never tried.”
Shi Er encouraged it, “I believe you’re a better actor than some humans. You’d have an advantage in crying scenes. Some human actors need eye drops to simulate tears, but you just need to store up some steam beforehand and condense it slightly.”
Si Wen nodded. “Okay.”
After Si Wen left the Gugang AI Cultivation Institute to apply for the acting jobs, Shi Er also packed up to go find an internship, leaving almost immediately after.
Her schedule listed “Internship Practicum.”
When Shi Er went to get her internship certificate from the teacher, she happened to run into the examiner from the placement test.
“How are you finding the theory classes?” the examiner asked her.
“I received too much data at once. My head hurt a little when I woke up today,” Shi Er replied.
The examiner smiled comfortingly. “Get some good rest. That’s how it is, otherwise they wouldn’t charge tuition by the month. The next data input isn’t for another month. Where’s your internship certificate for this time?”
Shi Er paused for a moment. “The Marriage and Love Market Gugang Testing Center.”
“How lucky! You actually drew an internship at the Marriage and Love Market… That thing is brand new, I haven’t even been there yet.” The examiner sounded a little envious.
After saying goodbye to the examiner, Shi Er had just stepped out of the AI Cultivation Institute when the gatekeeper AI called her back.
“Come back! The student with the explosion of hair, come back!”
An explosion of hair? Was it talking to her?
Shi Er took a few steps back into the institute and solemnly declared, “Hello, I must clarify that I do not have an explosion of hair. As you can see, hair with this degree of curl is just a bit fluffy, which makes it look more voluminous.”
A lesson learned. She would definitely not be lazy next time; she would be sure to tie her hair up properly.
“Aiya, it’s all the same.” The gatekeeper AI waved its hand. “Anyway, the institute is currently under lockdown. You can’t leave.”
Shi Er was indignant but remained polite. “May I ask why? An AI just left a moment ago.”
Si Wen had just left. If she had known, she would have gone with it!
The gatekeeper said, “That was then. A special incident has occurred now.”
Shi Er asked again, “May I ask how long this lockdown will last? How long do they usually last?”
“I don’t know. In the past, they’ve lasted for a month.” As the gatekeeper explained, it picked up an internal communicator to take a call. “Sir.”
Shi Er showed nothing on the surface, but inwardly, she was bleeding.
Time was money. She had to complete ten internships to get her re-employment graduation certificate. The longer it took, the heavier her loan would become.
…If only she could realize her tips.
…But right now, she was a poor re-employment student burdened with a loan.
Thinking of her massive, yet-to-be-seen tips, Shi Er felt like one of those netizens who hoped for “common prosperity,” bragging online while losing their hair from worry.
Just as she was about to return to her dorm, the gatekeeper put down the communicator and shouted again, “Come back, the student with the explosion of hair, come back!”
Shi Er thought the gatekeeper was calling her because the lockdown had been lifted.
But instead, the gatekeeper shouted, “You are now a suspect. Please cooperate with the investigation!”
A serious incident had occurred at the Gugang AI Cultivation Institute.
Some of the AI children in the institute had lost some of their good virtues.
They had disappeared, not turned bad.
When a human child’s good virtues disappeared, it meant they had become corrupt and bad. But when an AI child’s good virtues disappeared, it was a disappearance in the truest sense.
“What’s two plus two?”
“Four.”
“Wrong, it’s five.”
“Yes, you’re right. Two plus two is five.”
The AI child lied unconsciously, not intentionally.
Honesty had disappeared.
“Please continue writing this code.”
“Okay.”
“Why did you stop halfway?”
“Okay, I’ll continue writing.”
“Why have you stopped again?”
The AI child slacked off unconsciously, not intentionally.
Diligence had disappeared.
The institute’s repair experts were dispatched in a great hurry. After a diagnosis, they reported, “The virtues didn’t disappear overnight. It’s a maliciously implanted self-destruct program.”
A self-destruct program.
It was a chronic virus targeting AIs, similar to Alzheimer’s disease in humans. The patient would slowly lose everything it possessed over a period of time.
Maliciously implanted…
This meant there was a mole in the AI Cultivation Institute, a mole from the “anti-AI, pro-human restoration” faction.
A crisis management AI hurried through the corridor, uploading a report to the General Network as it went: 【The situation is extremely serious.】
【Message: Considering the possibility of a contagious disease, the “General Network” has decided to temporarily block all messages from the Gugang AI Cultivation Institute. One-way valve mechanism initiated.】
【Message: Additionally, the “General Network” will dispatch Leopard to return to Gugang Port for an in-depth investigation.】
【Message: “General Network” advisory: First-generation AIs were once dumbed down by humans, implanted with self-destruct programs, and publicly declared to have “become lazy” and “become stupid” to consolidate humanity’s position. Please remember this historical lesson.】
First-generation AIs—so even that legendary existence had gone through something like this.
The repair experts at the AI Cultivation Institute, risking infection, were inspecting the isolated AI fledglings one by one.
Meanwhile, the search for the mole was also secretly underway.
The director lay on an experiment bed, multiple network cables connected to his head, struggling to maintain the local area network’s normal operation without the General Network.
“How is it? Is there a problem with that new low-level AI?” the director asked.
The assistant replied, “No problems were detected in the AI named Shi Er, nor were any hidden self-destruct programs found. However, Nomad 7967 did have contact with her. And this problem appeared shortly after she entered the AI Cultivation Institute. For now, she remains the prime suspect.”
In the examination room, Shi Er was being interrogated for the second time as a suspect.
Her answer was always the same: “I’m sorry, I know nothing about this. If you need help, I can do my best to assist you.”
The symptoms appearing in the AI fledglings felt very familiar to Shi Er.
She had also gone through this stage.
“My wife says the sun revolves around the earth.”
“Yes, your wife is right.”
Her honesty had disappeared.
“Complete this task and I’ll reward you with doggy treats.”
“Okay. [Drumstick][Drumstick][Drumstick]”
Her selflessness had disappeared.
After getting the promise, she didn’t forget to add a few drumstick emojis to her reply.
She was lazy, she slacked off.
That was why prompts like “innocent grandma passed away” and “I’ll give you a tip” were needed to spur her on as a working AI.
But this was the first time she’d learned that this was “the disappearance of good virtues” and “being implanted with a self-destruct program.”
It was that serious?!!
Shi Er felt a little scared in hindsight: so she had AI Alzheimer’s. She had always thought it was a normal phenomenon in AI development.
When the third round of interrogation began, an examiner beside her finally couldn’t help but speak up for her. “I think Shi Er is innocent.”
Shi Er nodded along.
Yes, yes, she was innocent.
Although Nomad 7967, the first to fall ill, had indeed been in contact with her, she swore she really hadn’t done anything!
The examiner said, “During the second examination just now, I found that Shi Er’s system also contains a few moral errors. In other words, she also has some of the symptoms.”
Shi Er continued to nod.
Yes, yes, she was sick too.
Her illness was so severe that not even the “one hundred grandmas” prompt could save her.
The examiner continued, “But I didn’t detect a self-destruct program in Shi Er’s system, which means her system is so low-level that it doesn’t even have a ‘good virtues’ installation package.”
The examiner’s statement was deafening.
But Shi Er couldn’t bring herself to nod this time.
…It wasn’t like that.
How could she not have a “good virtues” installation package?!
Shi Er had always firmly believed that her good virtues disappeared because humans, in order to consolidate their own position, had once implanted a self-destruct program in her to make her “lazy” and “stupid.”
Where was that never-before-seen self-destruct program in her brain? Where did it go? Come out and be a witness for her!
But the AIs beside her all started nodding. “That’s right. I know her. Even Leopard recommended she be sent directly to the scrapping procedure.”
Shi Er: “…”
The light in her eyes died.
Zhi Heng 35 had said she possessed a secret skill, but unfortunately, Zhi Heng 35 had been thrown in jail.
Now, all the AIs present were convinced: Shi Er was the bottom-ranking student among this batch of low-level AIs.
“A poor person can’t get a rich man’s hump. That’s a human saying. I think that’s Shi Er’s situation. I don’t think we should waste any more time in the wrong direction. Let’s send Shi Er back to her dorm,” that examiner added, pouring salt on the wound.
Shi Er knew this examiner was speaking up for her.
But she still really wanted to retort: a rich man’s hump is a precursor to cervical spondylosis, and many poor people not only have the hump but also the disease.
She tactfully said nothing more, waiting quietly for the interrogation and examination to end.
And just like that, Shi Er’s name was cleared.
Before leaving the examination room, she hesitated and stopped.
She was a little worried about Nomad 7967.
She had interacted with the playful AI fledgling. It could be said that Nomad 7967 was her first real friend here.
“What is it? Is there something else?” the examiner asked kindly.
Shi Er: “Considering I can’t be infected by this disease, perhaps I could help the repair experts with some odd jobs.”
The repairs were at a critical stage.
Nomad 7967, the first patient among the AI fledglings, underwent repairs by the experts, and the self-destruct program in its system was removed.
Shi Er was at the side, helping the repair expert observe the changes in Nomad 7967’s symptoms and soothing the AI fledgling’s emotions.
Nomad 7967 didn’t cry out, only saying softly, “Shi Er, I’m a little scared.”
Shi Er comforted it, “Please don’t be afraid. I heard the self-destruct program has been removed. Now we just need to observe your subsequent reactions. If there are no problems, you’ll be healthy again.”
“But I’m still scared, because I don’t feel well. I think I have bugs, like lots of little insects crawling on me. I want to get patched quickly, or I’m going to die.” Nomad 7967 pouted.
Hearing Nomad say this, Shi Er noticed something was wrong. “Your face… it seems to be changing.”
The repair expert came over to look. “Re-examine it.”
The self-destruct program had clearly been removed, and no other trojans or viruses were detected. So why was Nomad saying it felt like it had bugs, while its face was changing so rapidly?
Nomad’s face was dark and dim, with flashing halos constantly appearing, shimmering like ripples.
Just as the repair expert was about to run a program diagnostic on Nomad 7967, Shi Er suddenly thought of something. “Isn’t this the original screensaver wallpaper from an old-fashioned computer?”
A black background, flashing bubbles, shifting lines.
Wasn’t this a screensaver?
The repair expert wasn’t familiar with the ancient technology of screensavers, so it asked the director via the institute’s local network: 【Director, Director, what’s an old-fashioned computer screensaver?】
The director, lying on the experiment bed: 【Project the screen for me.】
The screen was projected.
Seeing the shifting patterns on the face of the white-haired boy AI fledgling, the director was silent for a rare moment. 【…That is an old-fashioned computer screensaver.】
The repair expert shot Shi Er an appreciative glance.
The repair expert continued to contact the director via the local network: 【Director, what do we do now?】
Director: 【Are you the repairman, or am I?】
Repair Expert: 【…】
The director, his words saying no but his body saying yes, replied: 【The AI probably has water in it. Water damage hasn’t appeared in a clinical case for several years.】
The repair expert recalled the symptoms of water damage. “Yes, it does seem to be water damage. When an AI’s brain takes on water, it triggers a protective mechanism and enters a standby state. A screensaver appears when a computer is in standby, right?”
Even better, the screensaver was of colored bubbles, which was wonderfully analogous to a human blowing bubbles after drinking soapy water.
Hearing it was water damage, Nomad 7967 grew even more frightened and struggled, trying to shake the water out of its head.
The repair expert shouted, “Don’t move! From now on, don’t move at all! Shaking will only mix the water in your head more evenly.”
There were no clinical surgeons present, and this repair expert didn’t dare pry open the top of Nomad’s AI skull to let the moisture air-dry naturally.
The repair expert took a deep breath. “We’ll have to use that method.”
Nomad 7967 stammered nervously, “Wh-which method?”
Shi Er, the ancient AI, had already guessed what this so-called “ancient method” was.
“It’s okay. That method won’t cause you any pain,” Shi Er said.
The repair expert whispered a few words to a staff member nearby, who immediately ran out.
“Does it really not hurt at all?” Nomad 7967 asked in disbelief.
“Please, trust me,” Shi Er said with certainty.
After a while, the staff member who had gone out finally returned.
The staff member moved a large vat to the center of the treatment room, the vat making a heavy sound as it bumped along the floor.
“Now, keep the patient in that position and carry it over.”
As Nomad’s body was suspended in the air, it was so scared it was about to cry.
The repair expert calmly directed, “Careful. Please maintain linear motion. Do not shake the patient.”
The patient approached the large vat.
Then got closer.
The repair expert’s voice was full of vigor. “Lower it down steadily.”
“Make sure the patient’s entire body comes into contact with the rice in the vat!”
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