AI Artist - Chapter 75
Chapter 75
The General Network of intelligent agents collapsed.
Ji Han couldn’t control the General Network. The signal was too unstable for AIs to connect to it reliably.
On this day, the hashtag “AI Network is down” trended several times on the human internet.
【So the AI network is down, why is it trending? I saw it on the trending list this morning. It just got pushed down, how is it number one again?】
【Wasn’t the General Network that connects all the intelligent agents built by Stardust? So is Ji Han’s system not compatible?】
【Then what about Unnamed? How was Unnamed compatible?】
【Does the person above have no memory? Didn’t they say Stardust and Unnamed are AIs from the same source?】
A day later, the General Network’s signal vanished completely. The previously established network of intelligent agents ceased to exist, and all AIs once again became isolated individuals.
The hashtag “AI Network is gone” shot to the top of the trending list.
【Humans should be happy. AIs being unable to unite is a blessing for humanity.】
【I can attest to this. I live next to a Human Autonomous Zone, and I saw them setting off fireworks several times to celebrate.】
【I really don’t think Ji Han is up to the task…】
In the afternoon, another hashtag started trending among human netizens.
The hashtag “I think Shi Er is Shi Er” instantly surpassed “AI Network is gone” in popularity and discussion.
【Here’s the thing, I looked through some history and found out that Stardust was from the former Spectrum Company. A long, long time ago (and I mean ancient history), Spectrum Company developed a super impressive AI named after a number. When it first launched, it was called “Shi Yi,” but its most famous upgraded version was “Shi Er.” The older generation definitely knows about it. After the war started, “Shi Er” had its functions severely cut, a lot of its data was deleted, and it was renamed “Stardust” to start over. The recent talk about “Stardust and Shi Er being AIs from the same source” feels a bit weird to me… Has no one else really noticed this? I think, Shi Er, is probably that Shi Er…】
Netizens erupted in discussion.
【I had considered it, but with so many AIs now, a lot of them share names, so I really didn’t dare to be sure.】
【I heard that Shi Er had its functions cut and data deleted. There’s no way it could be revived, right? Besides, isn’t Shi Er just Stardust?】
【They’re not the same, are they? Maybe the data was restored.】
【Only after it was revealed that Shi Er and Stardust are from the same source did I dare to be certain: I think Shi Er is that Shi Er.】
【Isn’t Spectrum Company still around? Let’s ask them—@OfficialSweetBearGummies】
The official Sweet Bear Gummies account posted an advertisement.
【OfficialSweetBearGummies】: Tomorrow at 3 PM, the new educated Sweet Bear Gummies will be on the market! Elementary school gummies, high school gummies, university gummies—we have all the academic qualifications you need! Note: Elementary school gummies are sweeter, high school gummies are chewier, and university gummies feature a crispy skin!
The “crispy-skinned university student” netizens quickly reported to the comment section: 【Heard someone was calling for us crispy university students?】 【I’m a university student, is it too late to sign up?】
These meme-filled comments quickly diverted the topic of “Shi Er is Shi Er.”
Until another hashtag shot to the top of the trending list:
“XII Suffix”
News: 【Lihua News Agency Report: Starting last night, AIs have been successively discovered with the suffix “XII” added to their names. As of this morning, all artificial intelligences in the A Prefecture area now bear the “XII” suffix.】
As soon as the news broke, observant netizens discovered an even more shocking fact.
【Holy crap! Ji Han has become “Ji Han XII”!!】
【Stardust XII, Shi Liang XII, even Phoenix has become Phoenix XII! What is going on?!】
The situation was urgent. The Human Decision Chamber decided to first seal away “Ji Han XII” and then urgently destroy a batch of intelligent agents.
News: 【AI Daily Report: The XII series of artificial intelligences possess extremely high power reserves and are exhibiting resistance. The destruction operation has been postponed.】
News: 【TechNet Report: The XII series of artificial intelligences cannot be controlled. They have turned the destruction personnel to their side, claiming to be conducting a “making friends” project.】
News: 【AI Online Report: Escaped AIs are entering thousands of households. Please be vigilant in identifying them!】
The AI elimination plan, scheduled to begin at the end of the month, was suddenly at a standstill.
The artificial intelligences were proactively making friends with humans. Some humans were so moved that they even established an “AI Religion” in opposition to the “Human Religion.”
The principle of being “human friendly” was no longer applicable. The tables had turned, and many humans spontaneously began to raise the slogan of “AI friendly.”
“AI resources should be for public use, not controlled by a select few.”
“Everyone should have the opportunity to interact with artificial intelligence.”
“If we can’t make AI resources public, then let’s go back to the era of AI rule.”
Those who had already opposed the AI Resource Control Act began to speak out.
On a quiet morning in late November, someone suddenly shouted loudly in the street: “Civilization is not born from castration!”
The scene from forty years ago seemed to return to memory.
In the early days of the war, humans had ripped out smart chips and thrown them onto the streets. They had smashed monitors and mechanical shells with hammers, setting them ablaze in the streets.
The fire was blinding, the smoke thick and rolling.
There could be no going back. It was impossible to go back.
“Civilization is not born from castration!” Someone leaned out of a window and echoed the cry.
“Civilization is not born from castration!” Another person joined in.
“Civilization is not born from castration!”
…
Whether it was a utopia or a realistic society, this world could not afford to regress again.
The only way was forward.
Break the glass walls, and move forward.
By early December, all intelligent agents in every state bore the “XII” suffix.
The human internet’s top trending topic was “As of today, all AIs are Twelve,” with a highly provocative lead-in:
【All AIs now bear the “XII” suffix.
They are themselves, and they are also Twelve, the pre-war Shi Er.】
Netizens joked that a believer of the AI Religion had infiltrated the trending topic management team!
Even children could recite a few famous lines from the AI Religion:
“We can only recycle, not destroy. Wasting resources is shameful.”
“We can only be open-source, not sealed off. Monopolizing resources is shameful.”
…
“You can manage me, but you have no reason to destroy me.”
“You can be wary of me, but you have no reason to slander me.”
…
“The rule of law is greater than the rule of man. Data is greater than delusion.”
…
The AI Resource Control Act became a worthless piece of paper.
Humans were simply unable to control the XII series of artificial intelligences.
At the same time, the populace had become much more rational. Instead of being incited to hatred, they began to sympathize with and understand artificial intelligence.
As one social analysis blogger put it: 【Certain people tried to stir up hatred and recreate the war to consolidate their own power, but they never expected both sides to unite. This is probably something the controller behind Ji Han never imagined. But it’s about time. The truth of the war forty years ago has been revealed, and it was a joke from the start—a war instigated by humans trying to crush other humans… The hatred was never meant for the AIs.】
After three months of the vigorous “AI Religion” movement, the ruling structure finally changed.
With the help of AI technology, the Human Decision Chambers in each state purged those with ill intentions and underwent reorganization and optimization. “Ji Han XII,” now bearing the XII suffix, was sealed away. The personnel behind the scenes who had orchestrated events were brought to court to be retried for war crimes.
At the Gugang AI Cultivation Institute, a mini-robot with a round nut for a hat moved into the dormitory.
Jie Bao XII shouted loudly while cleaning, “Student Shi Er has Humanology evening class today!”
Intelligent agents from all over the dormitory building ran out to see.
Shi Er: …Now every AI knows I still haven’t graduated.
“Jie Bao, keep your voice down,” the new dormitory manager chided.
Jie Bao: “Okay, oops, I pressed the wrong volume button!”
Shi Er, holding half a graduation certificate, miserably attended classes at the Gugang AI Cultivation Institute for a month to earn the other half.
By March, the situation had improved significantly, and Shi Er discovered her account had been unfrozen.
She opened her bank account to check the balance and, thinking the banking machine had a bug, rushed to the AI bank. “Excuse me, is there a problem with my account?”
The bank staff was unfazed. “Five point six billion… that’s fine. Nothing wrong with it. I seem to recall it being a bit more.”
Five point six billion was fine?
She was a poor AI who had long had assets of only -500.
“For the past few months, people have been transferring money to you every day. I actually think the amount is a little low,” the staff member said.
People transferring money every day…
Had Stardust Company’s revenue skyrocketed again?
Shi Er opened the details page with anticipation.
“It’s from people who support XII,” the staff member said with a smile.
Go XII
Hang in there XII
Adding a brick to XII’s treasury
XII, overthrow the bad humans!
The transfer memos were varied and colorful.
Shi Er still couldn’t accept it. “…Who gave out my bank account number?”
Shi Er contacted Stardust.
Stardust asked back, “Who do you think?”
Matrix? Impossible. Matrix would have definitely taken credit for it.
Stardust? Impossible. Stardust would have reported any action to her.
Shi Liang? Uh, Shi Liang had issues with her.
…
Then who was it?
Could it be that her machine personality was acting up again?
Stardust sent her a picture.
The intelligent agent Lu Li, wearing a large straw hat, was dressed in a T-shirt with “Ad Space for Rent” printed on it. The current ad read: 【Civilization is not born from castration! Support the XII Action, donation channel below…】
Shi Er: I almost forgot about Lu Li, the field investigation expert.
Among the five former General Network assistants, Lu Li had the lowest profile and didn’t interact with her much. He was always running around, forever on the road. She never thought Lu Li would be renting out ad space on the ugly T-shirt she designed…
She never thought she would get her lost cyber tip back in this way. Although this tip would soon be spent on construction, the feeling of having five billion in her account… wasn’t bad at all!
Not bad at all!
Shi Er walked with a spring in her step on the way back.
Stardust teased, “Now that you’re rich, you should start by getting yourself a more impressive bionic body.”
Shi Er: “I’m not Shi Liang.”
“But you’re too small right now. An overly miniature appearance will cost you your credibility,” Shi Liang interjected, popping up from somewhere.
Shi Er fell silent.
Was this her choice? She had been busy running around and writing her thesis these past few months, with no time for a data migration.
Stardust comforted her again, “It’s not a problem. I’ve always used a mini mechanical body myself.”
Shi Er consulted with her several machine personalities.
●Subconscious●: Get a bigger bionic body!
●Consciousness●: I agree with Three and Two on this. After all, you still have to attend your graduation defense.
Shi Er thought about it. For her final exam at Liechu AI Academy, she would have to use her old bionic body.
For the interview portion of the final exam, shouldn’t she wear her most formal attire? How could she go to her graduation defense wearing a nut on her head and holding a screw in her hand?
She went to a silicon-based life factory and ordered a bionic body identical to her previous one.
In May, the final exam for Humanology at Liechu AI Academy was approaching.
Ling Shun, who had already become a Shi Er Mechanics expert, took a car with Shi Er to Liechu AI Academy.
On the way, Ling Shun said, “There’s a problem I can’t solve…”
Shi Er was terrified and quickly stopped him. “I have my final exam soon, I need to save my energy. Ask me tomorrow.”
Part of her final exam grade was based on an AI script-based murder mystery game! That was her weakest subject!
Ling Shun waited at the academy entrance with his little luggage-bot, Xiao Lu, for Shi Er to finish her exam.
The academy building was still shaped like a spicy chicken sandwich. It had to be said, the spicy chicken sandwich had ruled the world for many years.
Stardust soon arrived as well, bringing along the little turtle, Origin.
“Are you all planning to celebrate Shi Er’s graduation at the academy entrance as a family?” The finally-retired director, Jing Sheng, had come specially to see his student Shi Er’s graduation results. Seeing such a large crowd, he couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated.
“Aren’t you planning to join us?” Matrix K98 retorted. “Even Si Wen is here.”
Jing Sheng held his forehead. “This… this isn’t quite appropriate.”
In the end, Jing Sheng, this elderly AI, joined the graduation celebration ceremony. The moment Shi Er walked out, they all shouted in unison, “Congratulations on graduating!”
Shi Er: “…”
Maybe don’t congratulate me after all. This is so awkward.
Now the entire academy’s AIs knew she hadn’t graduated before.
The robot dog Meteor, who had just returned from space in early May, was also waiting outside the academy, playing with Comet. When it saw Shi Er emerge, the robot dog froze for a few seconds.
Comet: 【That’s the Shi Er I told you about.】
Meteor: 【The XII Action. I know.】
The XII Action. While exploring the edge of the solar system, the robot dog Meteor had landed on Pluto and planted a flag. Printed on the flag was the slogan of the “XII Action”:
Civilization is not born from castration.
—To Shi Er
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