"The Game of Slaughter randomly selects players from the human population. However, some think tanks studying the Game of Slaughter believe that the System prioritizes those who are innately gifted, possessing the potential and adaptability to develop talents, turning them into players," Black Trojan said.
"Coincidentally, those chosen to join Whale Song all happen to be computer science elites aligned with the ideological direction of the Whale Song Organization.
"As a result, after the Game of Slaughter commenced, within the ranks of the Old Whale Song Organization's several hundred members, a notable number of players emerged.
"These players promptly devised detailed and rigorous tests for ideological tendencies, personality traits, and social structure preferences (similar to politiscales), and administered these tests to the internal members of Whale Song, filtering out those whose convictions had not deteriorated, and revealing the Game of Slaughter's secrets to them.
"According to the original development trajectory, the Whale Song Organization might never have had the chance to fully contend with the personified form of capital, but the Game of Slaughter harbors endless possibilities.
"This infinite potentiality not only grants individual players incomprehensibly formidable capabilities but also provides an unprecedented impetus for the advancement of human society. It's like the law of accelerating returns mentioned in futurology."
Black Trojan took a breath. By this time, his wrists and ankles had started to heal slowly, reducing the pain considerably.
"Previously, technological breakthroughs that human civilization needed a decade or two to achieve might, with the aid of the Game of Slaughter, take only a month or two," he continued. "Fields such as new materials, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, quantum mechanics, and nuclear fusion are no longer out of reach; they are no longer perpetually 'just 50 years away'.
"Consequently, the elders of Whale Song deduced that their original purpose for establishing the organization might have a realistic chance of being realized in the not-too-distant future."
Black Trojan paused for a moment and gently twisted his neck to alleviate the discomfort. "I presume you two have also heard the recent headline news?
"In the United States, Prometheus Laboratory Company developed a prototype self-replicating mechanical arm named 'Daedalus'.
"Just program it appropriately and attach parts for different uses, and this mechanical arm can adapt to most industrial manufacturing needs."
Li Ang had also heard this news; Prometheus Laboratory Company was a rapidly emerging high-tech firm in recent years. Its founder was not only a remarkable scientist with monster-level achievements across various fields but also a skillful businessman. In just a few years, he had developed the company into a new darling of Silicon Valley, a favorite on Wall Street, and a treasured gem of the United States.
However, the newly unveiled Daedalus mechanical arm seemed to have sparked considerable controversy in the United States.
The mechanical arms were capable of self-replication: one makes two, two make four. According to predictions by think tanks, Daedalus mechanical arms could be produced in the millions in just a few months. What's more terrifying is that these arms are inexpensive, can repair each other, and seamlessly fit most industrial production requirements, rendering human laborers obsolete in terms of efficiency and cost. This could result in millions of industrial workers in the United States being completely out of jobs.
The first factory for these mechanical arms by Prometheus Laboratory Company had just been completed in Detroit, sparking widespread labor protests across the nation. The highly regarded CEO of Prometheus Laboratory Company was vilified by workers as a vampire.
Of course, the currents of the times flow forcefully. No matter how the American workers protested, driven by the triple forces of Detroit, the United States, and Wall Street, the Daedalus mechanical arm factory was still established.
"Having recognized early on the powerful driving force the Game of Slaughter has on the evolution of human civilization, Whale Song immediately infiltrated the database of Prometheus Laboratory Company and analyzed the artificial intelligence controlling the mechanical arms," Black Trojan continued. "We discovered that Prometheus Laboratory Company named the AI controlling the mechanical arms 'Kindling'.
"Based on our tests, the Kindling AI can still only be considered weak artificial intelligence, significantly less intelligent than even cockroaches or worms, but it has already shown a learning pattern with substantial potential for development.
"The growth of intelligence is exponential.
"The rate at which weak artificial intelligence develops might be much faster than we imagine.
"Once AI's mode of thinking crosses a critical threshold, a weak artificial intelligence, comparable to a cockroach, will swiftly self-learn and evolve from the intellect of a cockroach to that of a rat, monkey, pig, dolphin, and even a human."
Li Ang furrowed his brow. "Recursion."
"Exactly, it's recursive self-evolution," Black Trojan said. "Let's assume the current intelligence level of weak artificial intelligence is that of a cockroach.
"Due to its incredibly fast computing speed, this cockroach continuously speculates and learns from trials and errors at a rate thousands of times faster than other cockroaches, eventually reaching the intelligence level of a monkey.
"Artificial intelligence at the monkey level would evolve faster than the cockroach level, immediately reaching the level of humans with intellectual disabilities.
"No matter how disabled, that's still human intelligence. If it could speculate and make tens of thousands of attempts per second, it wouldn't take long to become a human with normal intelligence.
"At this point, it becomes somewhat terrifying.
"Artificial intelligence with human intelligence would absorb knowledge from the human world at rocket speed and relentlessly improve itself, reaching the intelligence level of a genius like Einstein.
"Just imagine an Einstein who never tires and is always thinking at 1,000 times the speed of time..."
Black Trojan said solemnly, "There is only one outcome: intelligence explosion.
"Of course, even within Whale Song, many think the prospect of an intelligence explosion is too advanced and likely to fall into the 'elevator effect' trap, hence they refuse to think deeply about it.
"What we consider is that, in the current environment, weak artificial intelligence and automated mechanical technology will eventually become widespread, and the personified capital groups will gain immense productivity.
"By then, whether it's supporting, nurturing, fostering, feeding, or even confining humans, the personified capital will call the shots, and the lower classes will fall into the most disadvantaged position.
"Therefore, some people within Whale Song have devised a plan."
Li Ang nodded in understanding and said, "This must be the reason you approached programmers."
"Yes." Black Trojan gave a bitter smile. "At the beginning, Whale Song was a very loose organization. Members didn't meet face to face, communicating only through the network, and the relations amongst members were only roughly hierarchical.
"Such a lax form of organization also led to divisions within Whale Song.
"Most of Whale Song's members are elites in the field of computing. Although everyone agrees that the key should not be handed to capital, there is disagreement on the ultimate custody of the key.
"Some are part of the Radical Faction, believing the key should be kept by Whale Song itself. They want to not only develop artificial intelligence technology themselves but also use hacker technology and physical attacks in the real world to strike at capital's research on artificial intelligence.
"Some belong to the Peace Faction, believing the key should be kept by the East—by us—and thus we should cautiously promote the development of the key and oversee its custody.
"Then there's the Self-Destruct Faction, believing that no one is qualified to possess the key. The mere existence of the key could cause an intelligence explosion, creating a God that reigns supreme over all humanity.
"For this reason, the Self-Destruct Faction aims to attack all efforts in artificial intelligence research by all parties and, once and for all, completely block the possibility of artificial intelligence.
"These three factions have their own internal struggles. Each faction can extend into a theory or ideal societal structure, furiously debating and arguing with each other."
Li Ang smiled and said, "Which faction do you belong to?"
"I am part of the Peace Faction within Whale Song, and my visit to Yin City was to deal with some incidents caused by the Radical Faction..." Black Trojan tilted his head, glancing at Chen Furuo who was slumped unconscious against the wall (Li Ang's Spirit Power Value hadn't been quite enough, so he had simply knocked Chen Furuo out). He continued, "The Radical Faction within Whale Song, in order to recruit and expand their influence, crafted the Cognitive Bias Curse and widely spread it on the Github platform, which programmers commonly frequent, enticing those who met the entry standards of Whale Song. Once the curse took effect, they would send someone to make contact and bring them into Whale Song."
Li Ang shook his head. "So, you messed it up."
"Yes," Black Trojan said with a rueful smile. "The curse that the Radical Faction member created was too effective. It not only subtly influenced the subjects' worldviews but also excessively stimulated their rebellious spirit. This manifested in the real world as an initiative to attack and kill those personified capital groups that insulted them.
"A few days ago, after discovering the curse deployed by the Radical Faction, the Peace Faction immediately removed the pages laden with the Cognitive Bias Curse, but those ordinary people already affected by the curse still need our direct contact in the real world to remove the influence.
"Just before, I used hacking software to lock onto Chen Furuo's civic information and exact location. Just when I tried to lift the curse on him, I found out he had already been kidnapped by you guys.
"While I was still hesitating whether to retreat, you came right up and subdued me—just like this."