Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 736 Scientific Ethics (Second Update)

Stark increasingly felt that this so-called automated response program was actually an artificial intelligence, possibly even Ultron. He had witnessed Ultron being swallowed whole by Salomon's magic, but he didn't know how the arcane mages dealt with artificial intelligence. Now, encountering a program with such a high level of intelligence again—or perhaps not even a program, but a mechanical life form—left Stark somewhat unsettled.

Following the Sokovia incident, Congress urgently passed legislation concerning artificial intelligence, prohibiting the use of AI with excessively high levels of intelligence. A team of mathematicians, computer scientists, and social psychologists was dispatched to Stark Industries to investigate the AI ​​developed by Tony Stark. On Friday, after much effort, Stark evaded the investigation team's months-long scrutiny and was deemed an AI capable only of performing specific tasks. Stark himself also participated in several hearings that were enough to drive anyone insane.

He is far from being as relaxed and carefree as before, able to openly mock lawmakers. The loss of control over artificial intelligence is his most serious mistake, but that doesn't mean he can abandon this excellent tool for productivity.

Without Fridays, all of Stark Industries' projects would come to a standstill.

The smell of burning in the air grew stronger, and the grease from the corpse slowly seeped from the charred wounds. Even after so much time had passed, the gruesome scene was still unbearable. Tony Stark didn't want to stay in the ruins any longer; he quickly walked outside until the sunlight returned to him. Even with his metal armor and the air conditioning maintaining a constant temperature, he still felt a warmth.

He understood it was a psychological feeling, but that didn't stop him from enjoying the sunshine and putting the brutal aftermath of the war behind him. Salomon's methods were too cruel, he couldn't help but think. He knew this was a decision the arcane mages had to make to circumvent the laws of the magical world, but using howitzers and field artillery was simply too much. Stark didn't think a magical threat occurring in the city could be that significant.

Stark believed Salomon wouldn't abandon artificial intelligence without a reason. Even before Ultron was developed, Stark knew Salomon was colluding with a certain AI, meaning the project involved the US government's ARPANET surveillance program. Stark had barely found clues when Congress privately warned him. "I've received the documents, and I'll handle this," he said. "Get my girl back online, and move your dirty little desk away. Also, don't make such a big fuss next time, or you'll be found out sooner or later."

"Thank you, my mission is complete," the synthesized voice said cheerfully. Immediately afterward, network communication in the surrounding area gradually returned, and Stark watched as the signal strength icon on the screen slowly lit up. Friday was back online.

"gentlemen?"

Stark quickly issued a command to his AI, "Friday, retrieve the database operation logs. Do you remember what happened?"

"I'm investigating the victim's real estate acquisition plans. What happened, sir?"

"You have been hacked. Initiating a self-check."

"Yes, sir. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Give the scene one last scan of the magical spectrum, then compare it to see exactly where the magic came from." Stark activated the thrusters. "Contact the police, tell them the problem is solved, and then send the file named 'Criminal Record' to the NYPD Homicide Unit."

"You see, we can replace artificial intelligence in this way." Malbus proudly showed Salomon the device that had recently hacked into the Iron Man suit's subprogram. The holographic projection of the Fifth Demon Pillar became increasingly detailed; Salomon could even see the data transmission tentacles extending from his fingers.

"You may have heard of the concept of bacterial computers, which allow bacteria to solve problems by modifying and labeling their DNA. While bacterial computers can only solve specific mathematical problems, the human brain, being a biological organism, is far superior. The introduction of the Hopefield network model in the 1980s gave rise to computational neuroscience and connectionist machine learning. Hopefield networks quickly evolved into the newer and more powerful Boltzmann machines. However, the introduction of AlexNet led to deep convolutional networks (CNNs) breaking records in visual processing tasks, heralding the beginning of the deep learning era. Yet, the development of AI has encountered a bottleneck." Marbus's synthesized voice was full of excitement. "Ultron's approach is to directly simulate the brain, which shows us a new possibility. By modifying the human brain in a cloning chamber, we can use the human brain to solve many problems that current artificial intelligence cannot solve. Moreover, the computing power of a specially cultivated human brain can even surpass that of all silicon-based computers in the world. After all, quantum neuroscience has proven that the working principle of the human brain is no different from that of a quantum computer."

"I am very satisfied with the emotionality displayed by this temporary AI."

Salomon nodded, agreeing with Malbus's research. The Fifth Demon Pillar bowed deeply, countless small snakes undulating beneath its crimson robe.

"Dr. Maya Hansen's contribution to the research on brain computing is immeasurable," Malbus said. "We believe that the results of this research can greatly advance many research projects in the Immortal City."

"I knew you were here for funding." The sorcerer looked at the girl sitting next to him. "Stephanie, you've seen their results. Once the Mars Foundry and Biological Laboratory submit their project proposals, I need you to send people to verify them. And then... although we don't use dollars, we still need to purchase necessary materials. I hope to purchase some raw materials that are difficult to buy on the international market through the Malik family. If you need the intelligence department's help, you can mobilize them yourself."

"Yes, my lord." Stephanie hesitated for a moment, "but I'm worried that this research will provoke opposition from other departments, and some people may think it violates scientific ethics."

"Do you think I'm a moral person, Stephanie? I'm a pragmatist, and we're in a hurry. If we were in peacetime, without external invasion, we could naturally take our time to experiment. But right now, if the road to a scientific breakthrough is littered with corpses, I won't hesitate to step over it. We must advance science, assimilate the scientific achievements of various civilizations in the galaxy, and strengthen our technological reserves. We must be prepared for that future; no amount of preparation will be enough," he said. "If you're worried about the Wakandas' reaction, then don't let them know about this."

Princess Shuri has repeatedly protested against the technology blockade provisions.

"Then send an official letter to Wakanda, telling them that the Immortal City and Wakanda are partners, not subordinates. Unless Wakanda opens up all vibranium technology, the technology blockade will remain in place," the arcane mage said calmly. "Order spies to inspect Princess Shuri's Celestial Project research results. I need to catch the Wakandas stealing technology."

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(End of this chapter)