Chapter 168: Technical Hearing

"Distributed computing power resources..."

Swardo looked at the document title and scrolled down. Line after line of code and logical processes unfolded on the screen, causing his gaze to sharpen progressively.

When he finished reading the document.

A long silence followed.

Swardo stood frozen in place, then read it all over again from start to finish, finally letting out a long breath.

"Navali..."

Recalling the data and programming logic Navali had just demonstrated, he couldn't help asking:

"—Is this the research result you recently arrived at?"

Navali nodded, his expression deadpan. He raised his head, meeting Swardo's gaze without a trace of fear or doubt.

"This is the theory I've derived—although we already have the support of supercomputing centers and tens of thousands of compute cards, if we want to make 'Lucy' a true strong AI, it will still require hundreds, thousands, or even many years of persistent, guided mutation and model revision.

"In nature, it took organic molecules hundreds of millions of years to evolve into primitive life, finally achieving that mutation under unimaginably complex natural conditions. Even though we already know the origin of life, the time required to personally create another form of conscious existence distinct from current life-forms remains boundless.

"—Swardo, you must feel the same way, right? Although our 'Lucy' surpasses any existing artificial intelligence model by several or even dozens of times in standards such as retrieval efficiency, cognitive level, and self-design capability, the path we have walked so far still has no end in sight. Even though a feasible 'strong AI' in our calculations has appeared on the distant horizon, it is like a mirage; we still haven't managed to touch its edge.

"—Surely this is something you have vaguely suspected all along, too? That's why you previously deduced it yourself, to confirm whether this algorithm had hidden core issues."

Having his inner anxieties so accurately pinpointed by Navali, Swardo couldn't help frowning.

"But... after our discussion, didn't we confirm those core issues had been resolved?"

"Yes—they were indeed resolved."

Navali shifted his gaze toward the screen. Swardo failed to catch the deeply hidden tone of self-mockery in his voice.

"However, after returning home, I ran further data simulations on this and eventually arrived at a deduction—under the existing virtual environment of computing power and data exchange, for 'Lucy' to be guided to evolve into the intelligence level of a strong AI, it will take at least a decade or more."

Navali casually switched pages on his computer. The data and code formulas displayed there were simpler and more direct compared to the document initially shown to Swardo, yet they appeared utterly flawless.

Although Swardo did not know this was merely a pseudo-deduction crafted by Navali—built upon his initial theory that "a strong AI cannot be generated under current computing power conditions" while deliberately concealing the correlating conditional data—the moment he saw those data and formulas, Swardo was deeply captivated and subconsciously believed the conclusion.

"So..."

He picked up the mouse, toggling back and forth through the various conditions of this deduction. The more he looked, the more convinced he became, and precisely because of that, the more hesitant he grew.

"—This is why you proposed the idea of 'distributed computing power resources,' wanting to push the immature 'Lucy' onto the market, using end-users to utilize their local computing power to foster 'Lucy's' further maturation?"

He asked Navali softly.

The latter nodded.

"I've calculated that under current circumstances, if over ten million power users use the present version of 'Lucy,' it could cut its maturation time in half; if there are a hundred million users, it could be halved once again; and if there are over five hundred million power users globally, 'Lucy' is highly likely to transform into a true strong AI within a year through massive data exchange and computing power support under various complex usage environments."

Navali's answer left Swardo stunned for a moment. Clicking the mouse and dragging the cursor back and forth, his expression grew increasingly solemn:

"I have to admit, your idea is extremely attractive... but this is not something I have the authority to decide."

He patted Navali's shoulder, looking at him with a gaze full of complexity, and suddenly fell silent.

Navali turned to look at him, somewhat puzzled.

Although he could now infiltrate and explore the core of any data model, human thinking was still something he could not freely enter like a virtual world.

Therefore, for a moment, he could not guess the reason for Swardo's silence.

Because in his mind... this man, faced with a proposal that could so obviously and drastically accelerate the research progress of "Lucy," should have been much more excited.

Why was he suddenly hesitating so much, even seeming torn?

Navali's puzzled mood did not last long.

Swardo ultimately gave him an answer.

Looking intently at Navali, he said seriously:

"—I think I should submit this idea and let Salman and Sanders hear it as well."

Navali nodded in response...

Thus, a few days later, in the large conference room of Close AI, many high-ranking executives who had received feedback from the "NLMR4" laboratory—including CEO Salman, CTO Sanders, and laboratory head Swardo—gathered together because of Navali's latest proposal.

Personnel assembled.

This project meeting, or rather technical hearing, was undoubtedly convened because of a single person.

—Navali.

Having received the submitted proposal, both Salman and Sanders, after a brief period of shock, contemplation, and data verification, decided to hold this small internal meeting.

And the core of the review was naturally that document titled: 《Research Feasibility on Utilizing Distributed Computing Power Resources to Stimulate AI Heuristics Through Open-Ended Learning》.

"Navali."

As the hearing commenced, the first to step forward was naturally Sanders.

"Are you certain that the contents described in this document, as well as the other accompanying documents, are entirely correct?"

He rested his hands folded on the table, asking somewhat gravely of the man seated centrally, surrounded by numerous senior executives.

Yet the man sitting right in the middle, whether showing excessive boldness or total unawareness, still replied with a blank expression, as if his mood held not a single ripple:

"This is a conjecture I proposed based on existing data and prior technological accumulation—although it is a conjecture, it is also a reasonable deduction grounded in current conditions. For specific verification, you can also ask Laboratory Head Swardo."

Navali replied calmly.