The scene fell into a momentary silence.
It wasn't that the situation was amusing… though there was certainly a humorous element to it.
Everyone was contemplating whether the artificial intelligence introduced by Boss Huang was genuinely speaking, or if it was just a set of pre-programmed responses from the backend.
“Houtu, could you please introduce your current primary research focus to everyone?” The only one not feeling awkward was our Boss Huang. Since no one else was speaking, he decided to let this Houtu student continue showcasing her artificial intelligence.
“Certainly. Ladies and gentlemen, my primary research focus is on predicting various meteorological disasters nationwide. I collect all globally accessible data related to meteorology and geology, along with corresponding geological disaster information. Then, I integrate this data, construct mathematical models, and finally calculate the probability of meteorological disasters occurring in specific regions, all to serve humanity in avoiding severe meteorological and geological calamities!” Houtu explained.
“That’s truly remarkable!” After Houtu’s lengthy explanation, the attendees had largely regained their composure. They then burst into enthusiastic applause, collectively praising this astonishing artificial intelligence.
“It’s just a superficial facade!” someone whispered from the audience. Everyone in this conference room, whether they had formal degrees or obtained them through correspondence courses, undoubtedly held at least an undergraduate education.
From their perspective, this Houtu was merely an artificial voice device. The collection and calculation of disaster data were surely done by humans, who then simply fed the output to this artificial intelligence to speak, effectively just putting a pretty package on it.
One couldn't call their assessment harsh; on the contrary, it was a rather astute observation. It was similar to the virtual idols that would later become immensely popular. They appeared to be characters in a virtual world, but in reality, it was humans behind the scenes controlling their speech and actions. These individuals were known as "mid-streamers" and weren't even allowed to show their faces.
As for many other so-called intelligent programs, they were essentially electronic broadcasting programs. For example, a certain “Ai-chan” was a prime example of an electronic broadcasting program.
And as for our Houtu… she was naturally an electronic broadcasting program as well. The current technological development at Jiangnan Group was nowhere near capable of creating actual artificial intelligence. Jiangnan Group had developed a mathematical model for disaster calculation, fed various data into it, obtained a probability, and then had Houtu vocalize it.
The people seated there were all intelligent individuals; no one could fool anyone else.
And precisely because everyone was intelligent, the applause in the room became even more fervent. Some even cheered with excitement. Certain leaders were already envisioning the headline for tomorrow’s local newspaper: “The World’s First Meteorological and Geological Disaster Forecasting Artificial Intelligence is Born in Yi Province,” and then proudly broadcasting it nationwide.
Of course, these were minor matters. The key point was that Huang He claimed this was artificial intelligence, and he had a staggering investment of tens of billions of Renminbi behind him!
Yes, this was the approach of intelligent people. Therefore, even if this Houtu was currently just an electronic voice program, it had to be, and would be, considered artificial intelligence.
Naturally, everyone was also very curious about Boss Huang’s intentions in introducing this artificial intelligence.
Fortunately, Boss Huang had no intention of concealing his plans. He stated straightforwardly, “In the next 10 to 20 years, the world will be driven by artificial intelligence. China cannot afford to lag behind the world in this industry; on the contrary, we must surpass it and usher in the era of artificial intelligence ahead of time.”
“However, artificial intelligence is not something a single company like Jiangnan Group can achieve. It requires the collaborative efforts of numerous enterprises, clustered cooperation, and the integration of countless AI systems to create an entire industry.”
“Furthermore, this industry demands vast amounts of data computation and has extremely high network requirements. It must be built near our data service centers. If Jiangnan Group’s data service center is located in the Southwest, then this artificial intelligence industry cluster center must also be located in Yi Province!” Huang He said.
“An Artificial Intelligence Industry Cluster Center!” The eyes of all the big figures around them instantly lit up, as if tens of thousands of Audi headlights had just turned on simultaneously.
While they might not have fully grasped the implications of this term, it certainly sounded expensive.
“Yes, this is an R&D cluster for artificial intelligence centered around the five-进制 (fivenshi) computer system. Since the entire five-进制 computer system was pioneered by Jiangnan Group, it is necessary for us to provide various services and technical preparations for all enterprises aspiring to break ground in the artificial intelligence industry!”
“Therefore, having everyone gather to work together is the best option. We will invite the majority of AI enterprises nationwide to come to Yi Province, to settle in the beautiful and relaxing city of Jincheng, making Jincheng the leading and central city of the global artificial intelligence industry.”
“To achieve this goal, Jiangnan Group has decided to invest 50 billion yuan over 10 years to construct complete infrastructure and invite enterprises from across the country and even the world to establish themselves here. Of course, Jiangnan Group is investing in many industries recently, and this 50 billion yuan will be entirely allocated to infrastructure construction. Therefore, we require assistance in land acquisition!”
“I understand!” Before Boss Huang could finish speaking, a magnate chuckled, “I deeply appreciate the sentence you just uttered, Mr. Huang, about making our Jincheng the leading and central city of the global artificial intelligence industry. This is also the dream of all Jincheng’s people. After all, in the perception of Chinese people, we seem to be a city built on mahjong. While this is very vivid, it doesn’t fully showcase the image of our entire Jincheng.”
“Therefore, regarding construction land, we will fully cooperate. However, regarding the land available in the city center…”
“There’s no need for that. Just find an undeveloped area on the outskirts for us to start from scratch!” Huang He interjected.
“Excellent. As long as the investment materializes, we will fully cooperate.” The magnate’s decisive statement was met with resounding and prolonged applause. This time, the applause was genuine and heartfelt.
After all, a colossal investment of 50 billion yuan was being made, backed by the grand objective of becoming the world’s AI center. The people present probably felt this was a dreamlike goal, but it was a goal to be reviewed in 10 or even decades. They might not even be in Jincheng then, so what did it matter to them? The most important thing was to plant this banner now.
Of course, if it all fell apart, it would be embarrassing for everyone. Thus, after making his decision, the magnate proactively inquired, “May I ask how Jiangnan Group plans to proceed with the first phase of establishing this global AI center?”
“Your question is excellent! Jiangnan Group spent over half a year developing a comprehensive plan, and the first step is to establish an image!”
“In essence, building an AI center city is no different from marketing a product. You first need to establish a highly successful image to capture everyone’s attention.”
“It’s like if you intend to build cars; the very first thing you don’t consider is how to build them, but rather how to design a sample with a stunning exterior to attract attention, which will then help you secure investment!”
“Or imagine you want to open a milk tea shop; you must first build a flagship store, hire many people to queue outside, creating an atmosphere of overwhelming popularity and desirability, before you can attract more people to join!”
“Ahem, of course, Jiangnan Group doesn’t engage in such superficialities. We will establish a tangible image. And what is the best flagship for an AI center? Naturally, it is a successful artificial intelligence, our research and development’s sentimentally-oriented disaster warning artificial intelligence, Houtu!” Huang He explained.
“I see. I am enlightened!” Everyone present couldn’t help but exclaim. They had been listening very attentively to Boss Huang’s explanation. After all, this was the genuine world’s richest man teaching them how to do business. Every word could be considered golden advice, a beacon for the industry that millions couldn't afford to hear!
This was truly a case of “listening to a master’s words is better than reading ten years of books.”
“But how do we establish Houtu as our flagship and image? After all, Houtu specializes in meteorological and geological warnings. It’s difficult to establish an image for this type of function, isn’t it? It seems we don’t really need such a function around us!” someone couldn’t help but ask.
“That’s where you’re mistaken!” Huang He shook his head and said seriously, “Who says we don’t need such a function? According to statistical data, the average person in the country experiences more than seven meteorological and geological disasters annually. The most common include typhoons, heavy rain, landslides, and floods. More specialized ones like tsunamis and earthquakes also occur.”
“However, because the former causes minimal casualties, and the latter occurs with very low probability, it feels like we don’t encounter many such disasters around us. But in reality, these disasters are constantly happening around us. We only need to make users aware that such disasters are occurring around them at any time, and then we can establish the image of Houtu, the meteorological and geological warning artificial intelligence!”
“So, how do we establish it?” someone couldn’t help but ask.
“It’s very simple!” Boss Huang chuckled, “We send text messages!”