Chapter 493 I, Tang Yuan, Am Harmless (8200, First Update)

Tiandu, the underground parking garage of the Security Bureau's conference hall building.

Dim lights, the occasional sound of engines starting, vehicles passing through the lanes and leaving the parking garage, and the flashing of AI detection, created an environment that seemed isolated from the bustling outside world.

And next to a seemingly ordinary black sedan, a discussion about civilization was unfolding.

"Is the very existence of technocrats a crisis for us?"

Listening to Yansheng's words, Su Zhou didn't react at first. He was a little puzzled and said, "If they don't oppose us, how can they be considered a crisis?"

But after a little thought, the young man quickly understood.

——Indeed.

Su Zhou nodded slightly, and he muttered to himself thoughtfully, "Indeed, the randomly awakened 'Tsukumogami' and the AI that awakens a soul are not the same."

"There is even a fundamental difference."

Why?

It's actually very simple.

That is the purpose for which they were created.

If an AI awakens a soul and autonomous intelligence, it won't actually have a big impact—at least not to the point of collapse.

After all, AI is designed and created because humans essentially want an intelligent being to work in that position.

Just like a car AI, if it has intelligence close to or even equal to humans, that's actually a good thing. Even if the AI that awakens a soul doesn't want to continue the job of driving for people, it has enough capital and intelligence to work in other positions, or to be a free individual, and humans are happy to see it succeed.

For itself and the position of car AI, this doesn't lose anything. It's just that the position of car AI has become a production line for cultivating intelligent individuals.

What's wrong with that? In essence, there is no difference between a wild beast or a captive spirit beast that randomly awakens intelligence. Everyone, including the beast itself, is happy to see it.

But what if a 'mechanical work production line' that doesn't need intelligence but only stability, awakens intelligence and really becomes a monster like Tsukumogami, an intelligent individual...? What should be done?

Su Zhou just thought about it simply and couldn't help but shake his head.

If this production line monster is willing to continue working, I'm afraid the factory and the country wouldn't dare let it continue working, right?

After all, the rights of intelligent life are vastly different from the rights of tools. If they are treated casually, it will chill the hearts of the vast majority of awakened intelligent beings, and the other party's working situation will no longer be stable.

And a production unit that cannot guarantee stability is essentially like an individual who cannot guarantee stable work. It is easily dismissed. This has nothing to do with whether it is an awakened AI or a monster. Even humans are like this.

As for how much damage the awakening of intelligence on a precision production line, after being unable to work, will cause to the workers and employees who rely on this production line, Su Zhou doesn't know... but it seems that many people will be affected.

"Moreover, the most terrifying thing is not the overall awakening, but the partial awakening."

Thinking of this, Su Zhou raised his head, and he calmly saw through the key point of this theory: "If the overall awakening occurs, perhaps the integrity of the tool itself can be guaranteed by extracting the soul separately and transferring it to another body—but if it is a partial awakening of intelligence, then the moment it is born, it will create huge chaos and destruction, causing irreversible losses."

[Yes, that's right, that's the principle.]

Although Yansheng was only speaking, the tone could make one imagine him nodding in appreciation: [A house, only one wall inscribed with a commemorative date awakens. If it becomes a monster and leaves its original 'position', the house will collapse.]

[A rocket that condenses the painstaking efforts of countless people in the entire team, where the engine that condenses the painstaking efforts ultimately awakens, it doesn't even need to act recklessly, it only needs to slightly not act according to the original planned plan, changing a little bit of an insignificant place. This creation, which condenses the new blood of countless people, one of the highest creations of human civilization, will have errors, and then self-destruct or crash.]

[The characteristic of modern human technological civilization is closeness, interlocking. That is to say, following the order of machines.]

[But awakening is different. Its very existence will cause the stable order within the machine to become an impure substance mixed with 'individual intelligence'.]

The examples given by Yansheng are not strange.

Not only Su Zhou, but even Tang Yuan next to him thought of many examples in this instant and couldn't help but frown.

——The computer's main processor and motherboard have awakened, becoming a motherboard monster, but the screen, CPU, memory, hard drive, and graphics card have not. The spiritual energy is chaotic, affecting the current conduction, so that the entire computer cannot be used normally, and perhaps the stored information will be washed away if you are not careful.

——Some parts in the mobile phone have awakened, becoming a battery monster, a communication chip monster, or a screen monster, so that people who are reading novels, playing games, or holding remote meetings suddenly have a black screen and cannot continue their entertainment or work...

Thinking this way, Tang Yuan couldn't help but turn his head, and with some worry in his heart, he looked at the black sedan where the car AI was located.

Just like this AI he is familiar with... only the AI host and engine have awakened to form a soul body—this is actually good, because the AI host itself has the authority to control the engine, and the AI host has the ability to stabilize the engine before the soul is produced. It has a soul and does not affect the work. On the contrary, it can make the work of the car AI more humane.

But what if the car, the one that awakened is the tire, the door, or the steering wheel?

When the car is driving well, the tire suddenly falls off during driving, the door suddenly opens when someone passes by, and the steering wheel malfunctions when you need to dodge something... what should you do?

Don't say it's impossible. Tang Yuan occasionally watches some traffic accident highlights in his spare time. There are too many situations where the car is driving and the tires fly out by themselves.

Although everyone joked that it was 'the wheel going to pursue the road to freedom', if it really happened to you, it wouldn't be a good thing to laugh about.

"But, Holy Seat, the situation you mentioned is a bit impossible, right..."

Thinking of this, Tang Yuan couldn't help but feel a little chills, but after thinking about it, he always felt something was wrong, so even though he was in awe, he still spoke and asked the majestic Holy Seat: "How can there be a situation where an entire entity awakens alone? This is like on a person's body, only an arm or an internal organ can cultivate, it's just too strange..."

"Why not?"

This time, however, it was Dao Sheng who spoke.

The old man stroked his beard with a smile, and he said with a smile, "Who defined the whole? Who stipulated that only the whole can awaken? Is it you, me, or the truth of the Heavenly Dao? Not to mention this, why do you think there are some humans who can cultivate, while others cannot, even if their parents are both cultivators?"

"That's precisely because human cultivation talent is based on the consistency of the frequency of attraction to 'spiritual energy' by the entire body and soul. The more this frequency converges, the higher the attraction rate and the higher the talent—and even if both parents are cultivators, the frequency of attraction of each organ and each cell of the child when taken out separately is very high, but if these high-configuration organs are not coordinated when put together, it will lead to low cultivation talent. Conversely, as long as the convergence rate is high enough, even if the basic configuration is not good, the talent will not be too bad."

"This is why cultivation talent can only be seen by luck, not by bloodline."

"Each organ of the human body originally has the potential to awaken separately, while other organs cannot. Otherwise, how can there be so many strange extraordinary diseases after the revival of spiritual energy? For example, in Yansheng's electronic underworld, isn't there a typical patient? That lady's brain awakened, but her nervous system didn't, leading to poor memory reading, almost becoming demented or even a vegetable... and this kind of disease is almost incurable."

"And the typical extraordinary disease is precisely caused by the body awakening, but the brain and thinking not transforming."

Saying this, Dao Sheng waved his hand, and his tone was quite emotional.

As the Holy Seat in charge of most of the official transcendents in the Zheng Nation, he has been tormented by the various cases created by extraordinary diseases recently.

Thinking of those extremely difficult to predict extraordinary disease patients that only Su Zhou's newly developed version of the 'Eye of Discerning Evil' could find, the old man couldn't help but sigh, "Actually, there is an even simpler example... for example, cancer."

"Cancer cells and tumors are precisely examples of things that belong to your body, but have their own way of existing... and the damage that a tool that awakens separately in a large production system or a large industrial system can cause is as troublesome as a tumor."

"This is troublesome."

In response, Su Zhou didn't waste any time. He folded his arms in front of his chest, frowned slightly and said, "To solve this problem, I'm afraid we can only create spirit-banning areas in key production sites to prevent related equipment from awakening—but doing so would be a bit of an overreaction."

While speaking, Su Zhou was picking on himself.

Because this will cause the production method to become spiritless, which will cause trouble to the new era technology that has already begun to integrate technology and extraordinary power.

"Actually, it's very simple. The new document that Yansheng and I said we were drafting is to solve this kind of trouble."

Dao Sheng glanced at Su Zhou who was thinking, and then looked at the black sedan AI who had been silent and seemed afraid to speak.

He said lightly, "That is to improve the new production method, and to carry out additional transformations of different specifications on different production equipment, tools, and various products."

"For example, magical artifacts, Su Zhou's divine sword, electronic AI hosts, and various utensils that originally needed it to awaken. These utensils will leave channels for it to awaken, and even set up guiding rune formations to prevent the spirit body from growing barbarically. At the same time, modern methods can be used to accelerate the birth of artifact spirits."

"And some secondary tools and products, such as cars, airplanes, houses, etc., will be connected as a whole with rune formations, so that even if they awaken, they will be a whole entity, and not just a few parts awakening separately... At the same time, this can also reduce the probability of them awakening. Only truly excellent spirit bodies can be born from them."

Speaking of this, the old man couldn't help shaking his head and sighing, "Of course, this kind of transformation of the production process will greatly increase the cost, and it will take a long time to replace. That's why I told Yansheng before that I didn't expect the situation to come so quickly..."

"After all, according to the words of Yingzhou Fusang, Tsukumogami need a long time to be born. Even lucky utensils need more than ten years to nurture a soul."

"And your AI car is obviously a new era creation, but it has a complete and independent spirit body in just four years. It is really fast, five or six years earlier than we expected."

"I guess there may be some additional factors." Hearing this, Su Zhou couldn't help but turn his head thoughtfully and look at Tang Yuan.

The young man with a pale face smiled awkwardly, not knowing where to put his eyes.

Dao Sheng also looked at Tang Yuan, and he also showed a somewhat subtle smile.

The Holy Seat, who had completely rejuvenated and turned into a middle-aged appearance, stretched out his hand and patted Tang Yuan on the shoulder, and said in a gentle tone, "Young man, your divine power is very extraordinary."

"I remember your name is Tang Yuan, right? Although you are a descendant of the Tang family, and almost went astray, you are a good kid who often helps disabled children in need. It's all recorded, you have a very good heart."

"Your divine power has great potential. Although it has not been determined yet, I dare say that it is definitely a native, high-level soul-type divine power, with characteristics such as communicating with the netherworld, awakening spirits, bestowing souls, enlightening, and breaking through realms... With you having such abilities, it is a bit of a waste to be just a secretary to the minister in the New World Exploration Department."

"So, do you think your current job is a bit unsuitable for you? If so, I can introduce you to..."

"Hey, hey, stop, please stop!"

At first, Su Zhou was quite happy to hear someone praising his subordinate.

But the more he heard, the more wrong his expression became.

Until Dao Sheng exposed his ambition and began to lure Tang Yuan, Su Zhou, with a dark face, reached out his hand and interrupted the old man's words amidst Yala's soulful laughter of 'Hahaha, you actually have a day when someone tries to poach your people!': "Don't poach people randomly—Tang Yuan is my most important subordinate, there is no other, you are not allowed to steal my people!"

Tang Yuan, on the other hand, stayed aside, shivering—he certainly had no intention of changing jobs. After all, although working for Su Zhou was tiring, he usually lived quite comfortably with the authority of being second only to one person and above ten thousand in the New World Exploration Department.

As for being tired... which job isn't tiring? At least Su Zhou, as a leader, truly treats him equally and communicates with him as a friend, and often takes care of him on a daily basis... Can this be done in other places? I think it shouldn't be possible.

One can't ask for more.

"Oh, don't be nervous, Professor Su, we are actually serving the future of Zheng Nation and all mankind."

Seeing Su Zhou's vigilant expression, Dao Sheng somewhat regrettably withdrew his hand from Tang Yuan's shoulder, and he said with a serious expression, "In short, Secretary Tang Yuan, I personally think that the rapid awakening of the car AI may have a lot to do with your talent and divine power. If you have time, you can come to the relevant department of the Security Bureau for a more detailed, high-level test. I believe you will definitely gain something."

"That's worth going to, Tang Yuan. Your ability now seems to have some extraordinary qualities."

Su Zhou didn't have any objection to this—after all, this is indeed beneficial to Tang Yuan's future, and he is also the chief captain of the special operations team of the Security Bureau. The Security Bureau is also within his sphere of influence.

Talking about this, the topic was almost coming to an end.

Su Zhou turned his head and looked at the black high-end car that nominally belonged to him, but was actually always used by Tang Yuan, and he couldn't help but sigh, "Speaking of which, an AI with a soul should be considered an independent intelligent life form, right?"

"In this regard, does Zheng Nation have relevant laws on the rights of intelligent life?"

[Yes.]

At this moment, it was Yansheng who replied. The Holy Seat, who was an authority in the relevant field, briefly explained: [Just a while ago, when you, Su Zhou, went abroad for a series of visits, the internal meeting of the Thirty-Six Sages passed the relevant bill... It had been dragging on for more than ten years, but because of the current situation, everyone knows that it is meaningless to entangle in this regard, so it was passed.]

Dao Sheng nodded slightly in response.

He personally did not object to the bill, but there were many conservatives and people who did not get along with Yansheng among the Thirty-Six Sages. Blocking the passage of the artificial intelligence-related bill was a method of internal struggle.

But in the current state of the world, if there is still internal friction, it will be attacked by the crowd.

Therefore, Yansheng, who belonged to the technical radical faction, was considered to have been granted many restrictions as he wished.

"After all, to put it bluntly, it's similar to imitating the Dao—as long as AI learns our human culture, then it is a part of humanity. The demon race can be a branch of 'humanity', then 'AI' and 'intelligent machines' can naturally also be. Transcendent humans are no slower than AI when it comes to learning speed, and they are also more comprehensive."

Saying this, Dao Sheng's gaze became distant, and his tone was firm: "In the past, immortals and gods had the measure to accept all things as their own, and although we have not yet reached that level, we have the same ambition."

[In the final analysis, we are not repelling 'tools' from having 'intelligence'.]

Yansheng also followed up, his tone calm with a hint of emotion: [In the end, what is the difference between a machine awakening and becoming a human, and a beast being educated and becoming a human? We can accept the Beast God Realm, and naturally we can also accept Tsukumogami and intelligent AI. After all, by accepting them, we also have their power, and we can use the bloodline advantages of divine beasts to strengthen ourselves, and use superior machinery and chips to arm our bodies and brains, and even like me, devote ourselves to the endless network information space. This is also the right path.]

[The problem lies in the 'random' aspect, which turns order into chaos and causes harm and loss to people.]

"Speaking of this..."

Talking about this, Su Zhou also narrowed his eyes slightly, and he remembered the idea that he had originally wanted to say, but was interrupted by Dao Sheng when he was poaching Tang Yuan.

The young man stroked his chin and said, "Yansheng, the transformation of the production line that you mentioned, besides 'regulating awakening' and 'integrating awakening to increase the difficulty of awakening', should there also be a 'prohibition of awakening', right?"

[Indeed. For facilities and equipment related to various production lines, as well as rockets, spacecraft engines, some supercomputers, large network servers, transportation networks such as railways and subways, and facilities related to people's livelihoods such as power grids and nuclear power plants, we will engrave 'spirit-dispersing formations' to suppress their spiritualization process.]

Yansheng's tone paused, and then he said: [This is necessary. For example, if the reaction kettle in our chemical factory awakens, but the other supporting facilities do not, and then it is unwilling to work... then we have no other response except to replace a reaction kettle.]

[But in this case, not to mention the losses suffered by the factory, what can the reaction kettle do after it becomes a demon? Refine pills itself, continue working? How should it cultivate, and who will guide it?]

[This is just an example. In fact, there are many existences in this world that will cause big trouble if they awaken, not only causing pain to others, but also being very painful themselves.]

Speaking of this, Yansheng was silent for a while, and then sighed: [In fact, we have already tasted the relevant bitter fruit—for example, our Zheng Nation's first controllable nuclear fusion power plant, which simulates the inner core of the three-legged golden crow, was destroyed because its core part was spiritualized and turned into a demon, causing the relevant site to be completely destroyed, and several core engineers unfortunately died... At that time, Professor Su, you happened to be going to another world and were not in the country, and we also suppressed this news.]

[This was still without successful demonization and awakening, only a part had relevant incomplete spiritualization signs, and it caused such a large loss. And if it succeeds, how much damage will a rampant nuclear fusion monster cause to people and property before it is suppressed? In this regard, although it is a bit cruel, stability is still the top priority. We will not allow this series of 'tools', 'production facilities', and 'strategic equipment' to have self-will, or even any possibility of awakening.]

[Just like immortals and gods would not allow extremely dangerous creations such as the 'Xuan Yin Blood Fiend Pool', 'Beheading Immortal Platform', and 'Banished Immortal Pool' to have their own intelligence.]

Su Zhou also nodded silently.

In this regard, he certainly supports the decisions of the Holy Seats and will not argue blindly.

You can't say, 'Controllable nuclear fusion power plants also have their own dreams!', so support the other party's demonization, right? That would be too irresponsible.

In any case, starting to suppress and control from the source is always better than having to bear the bitter fruit after an accident is born.

This is a situation that is responsible for both parties, otherwise, it is like knowing that the child is destined to have disabilities, brain and body defects, before pregnancy or during pregnancy, and still insisting on conceiving, and then giving birth to it after ten months of pregnancy.

In any case, it is a troublesome bill, and if you are not careful, it will cause the collapse of social order. If you are not careful, it will be a 'technocrat disaster'.

So, simply don't let them be born from the source—anyway, spiritual power will gather in other places if it doesn't gather here, and there won't really be a lack of anything.

However, this matter still made Su Zhou a little emotional.

"I didn't expect that such a small thing that is difficult to notice could brew a disaster that affects all mankind... Fortunately, I told everyone the news that the universe is about to be destroyed before, otherwise, just the implementation of relevant rules and regulations and processes would take several years of wrangling in the conference, right."

Thinking of this, Su Zhou chuckled, and he raised his hand and stared at the palm lines in his hand: "It seems that my decision was right. When there is no need to hide something, it should be said."

"If I had been one step late, and the worldwide tide of spiritualization had been set off, it would really be a disaster."

Although Su Zhou was emotional, all of this had not happened after all.

And it seems that it will no longer happen in the future.

The topic is over.

Dao Sheng and Yansheng left the place after registering the car AI number of the black sedan. They are all very busy people, and nothing else, cultivation cannot be neglected.

In order to prevent accidents, they will give priority to reviewing the production line of this batch of car AIs, and then conduct a national AI census to observe the degree of spiritualization of the current machinery, so as to determine the related plans, processes, and time for the transformation of the next production line.

Su Zhou and Tang Yuan also got into the car.

"Let's just take a stroll. I've been in meetings all day, so I'll take a rest."

Lying in the back seat of the car, the young man said lazily, and the car AI answered cheerfully and gently: [Okay, Mr. Su.]

[The roaming route has been determined. I wish you a pleasant journey.]

"Thank you."

Sitting in the car, Su Zhou turned his head and looked at the street scenery that kept flashing past the car window.

Modern skyscrapers and crowds of people coming and going, wearing all kinds of clothes. Prosperous shops, smiling faces, and vibrant crowds. And countless novel creations, and crowds of people using these creations and enjoying the new era technology.

Everything in civilization is based on the people.

Watching all of this, Su Zhou couldn't help but nod slightly.

"Immortal God civilization does have superior advanced features in dealing with spiritualized individuals. After all, a powerful immortal god is itself a civilization as a whole."

"Unlike modern society, immortals and gods have all the technology, whether it is alchemy, refining tools, cultivating, fighting, or drawing talismans, setting up formations, deducing divination, they create value themselves, consume value themselves, and they themselves are the collection of all means of production and production machines."

"So no matter what is awakened, whether it is a sword, armor, clothing, magic weapon, or anything else, if it has individual intelligence, it can be controlled by him again—and for immortals and gods, it doesn't matter whether the tool has intelligence or not, just like human individuals are almost tools for the human whole. The same goes for awakened magic weapons for immortals and gods."

"Because immortals and gods are super beings 'higher than a single intelligent life form'."

Although he thought so in his heart, Su Zhou did not intend to become an immortal god.

Even though he already had the strength of a true immortal god in the former Central Divine Court, at most he lacked some foundation in some aspects due to the lack of accumulation of time, Su Zhou did not have the slightest desire to identify with this identity.

Very simple.

Although immortal gods are powerful, their way of thinking always lacks a true concern for the people at the bottom.

Their love, their protection, in the final analysis, is at most just expectation, expecting similar beings to appear among the people at the bottom, and at the same time, guarding the anchors related to themselves.

"The path of immortal gods obviously has advantages, but it also has shortcomings. Only by absorbing the advantages and abandoning the errors can it be called progress and innovation."

"In this regard, the current human civilization is doing quite well."

Turning his gaze back from the street scene outside the car window, Su Zhou turned his head and looked at Tang Yuan, who had been silent and dared not speak since he was poached, with a smile that was not a smile.

The young man teased, "What's wrong, Tang Yuan, have you finally realized that your divine power is very strong?"

"But to be honest, when I saw that your spiritualization could allow disabled people to see the light and hear the sound at the beginning, I knew that it was definitely not an ordinary spiritual power divine power... And if you use the relevant divine power on the car, it is not surprising to give life to incomplete 'AI' or even 'inanimate objects'. This is probably the wonderful use of 'enlightenment' and 'awakening'."

"But, if you, this guy, recklessly give life to inanimate objects everywhere, you might really create a large number of 'technocrats' and 'monsters', causing trouble to people. It's no wonder Dao Sheng wants to keep you under control, so as to avoid causing trouble in the future."

Although it looks like just poaching, the young man is very clear that being poached to an important secret department is actually equivalent to being sealed.

In addition to related research and cultivation, members of related departments can't do anything.

To use a foreign term, it's probably 'seal designation'.

As for Su Zhou's teasing, Tang Yuan was speechless at first, but later on, he couldn't stand it anymore.

"Minister, you are slandering me!" he said indignantly: "I'm not so lonely that I would do this kind of thing... Even this car, I only use divine power to rush on the road when it's necessary!"

"If my divine power can really accelerate spiritualization, create technocrats and monsters, and I really want to create technocrats, then it must be because I'm so bored that I want to find someone to talk to that I would do this!"

Speaking of this, Tang Yuan looked at Su Zhou with an almost 'resentful' look. He muttered in a low voice, "And now, I'm so busy with work, and I have to take care of Leng Xiaxia. If I have extra time on weekdays, I have to go to a disabled children's school to be a volunteer... This kind of life is really 'fulfilling', where do I have the time to create technocrats!"

"Just saying a possibility."

Su Zhou shrugged. He also didn't think that Tang Yuan was really so idle.

The technocrat crisis has definitely nothing to do with the harmless Tang Yuan.

But since we're on the topic, he also remembered one thing.

"Speaking of which, I said last time that I would name the car AI. Now that it even has its own soul, it should have a name, right?"

Saying this, Su Zhou sat up straight from the seat, and he looked curiously at the place where the car AI host was located, and then asked, "Tang Yuan, have you thought about naming it?"

"I haven't thought about it yet... Although I use it the most often, in the final analysis it's still your car, Minister. It would be a bit inappropriate for me to name it."

"Hey, this kind of trivial matter... But it's just right, the car can be considered to have awakened and have a soul. It's an independent intelligent life, so we don't need to bother our brains."

Tang Yuan's prudence stems from his personality. He is unwilling to do things that may make others unhappy, and Su Zhou obviously doesn't care about this.

He asked the unnamed car AI with great interest, "AI, are you interested in naming yourself? I don't mind."

[Since you have given permission.]

In response, the car AI said softly: [Starting the naming algorithm.]

Seconds later, Su Zhou and Tang Yuan, who were looking forward to it, saw an unexpected answer appear on the car's screen.

[?].

First update, asking for monthly tickets!