Stark became increasingly convinced that the so-called auto-reply program was, in fact, an artificial intelligence—possibly even Ultron. He had personally witnessed Ultron being devoured by Solomon's magic, but he didn't know how the Arcanist dealt with artificial intelligences. Now, confronted once again with a program of such advanced intelligence—possibly not a program at all, but a mechanical lifeform—he found it hard to remain calm.
After the Sokovia incident, Congress had rushed through AI regulation laws, banning the use of artificial intelligences with overly advanced intelligence. They had also dispatched a review panel composed of mathematicians, computer scientists, and social psychologists to Stark Industries to investigate all AI developed by Tony Stark. FRIDAY had narrowly avoided being flagged during months of scrutiny, ultimately being classified as a task-specific AI. Stark himself had endured multiple grueling hearings that were enough to drive anyone insane.
He could no longer joke and mock the senators as he once did. The AI incident had been his greatest mistake, but that didn't mean he could abandon artificial intelligence altogether. Without FRIDAY, the entire Stark Industries R&D pipeline would grind to a halt.
The stench of scorched flesh thickened in the air. Fat was still seeping slowly from the charred wounds of the corpses. Even after so much time had passed, the horror of the scene was unbearable. Stark didn't want to stay in the ruins any longer—he walked quickly outside until the sunlight finally hit him again. Even with his suit's temperature regulation and ventilation systems, he still felt a warm comfort.
He knew it was psychological, but that didn't stop him from basking in the light, trying to leave behind the cruel aftermath of war. Solomon's methods were too brutal, he thought bitterly. Stark understood that the Arcanist had done it to avoid violating magical law, but deploying grenade launchers and field artillery was utterly excessive. It was hard to believe a magical threat in the city could warrant that level of force.
Still, Stark was sure Solomon wouldn't discard artificial intelligence so casually. Even before Ultron, he'd suspected Solomon had been working with some kind of AI. That project had been tied to the US government's ARPANET surveillance program. Stark had barely begun to uncover traces of it when Congress had given him a discreet warning.
"I've received the files. I'll handle this," Stark muttered. "Get my girl back online, and move your dirty little desk somewhere else. Also, next time, keep the noise down. If you keep stirring things up like this, people will start noticing."
"Thanks. My task is complete," the synthetic voice replied cheerfully. Moments later, the network in the area began to recover. Stark watched as the signal bars on his screen lit back up—FRIDAY came back online.
"Sir?"
Stark immediately issued a command. "FRIDAY, load system log history. Do you remember what just happened?"
"I was investigating a real estate acquisition involving the victims. Did something happen, sir?"
"You were hacked. Start a full diagnostics scan."
"Understood, sir. Anything else?"
"Run one final scan for magical spectral signatures and match it against our database—let's find out exactly what kind of magic was used here." Stark activated his suit's thrusters. "And notify the police. Let them know the situation is under control, then send the file labeled 'criminal records' to the NYPD Homicide Division."
"You see, we can replace AI this way," Malbus said proudly as he demonstrated the device that had just infiltrated Stark's armor systems. The Fifth Demon Pillar's holographic projection became increasingly refined—Solomon could even see the data transmission tendrils extending from his fingers.
"Perhaps you've heard of bacterial computers—modifying bacterial DNA to solve mathematical problems. While bacterial computers can only handle specific equations, the human brain, also biological, is vastly more advanced. Since the 1980s, the Hopfield network model gave rise to computational neuroscience and connectionist machine learning. Later, Hopfield networks evolved into more powerful models like the Boltzmann machine. But the rise of AlexNet and convolutional neural networks brought in the deep learning era, revolutionizing visual processing. And yet, AI has reached a bottleneck," Malbus's synthetic voice was brimming with excitement. "Ultron's approach was direct brain simulation. It showed us a new possibility: by modifying human brains in clone vats, we can use them to solve problems that current AI can't. Specially trained human brains can outperform all silicon-based computers. After all, quantum neuroscience has shown that the human brain functions similarly to quantum computers."
"I'm quite pleased with the emotional simulation shown by our temporary AI," he concluded.
Solomon nodded in agreement, acknowledging the results. The Fifth Demon Pillar bowed deeply—beneath the folds of his deep crimson robes, countless serpents rippled faintly.
"For research on brain-based computation, Dr. Maya Hansen's contributions are immeasurable," Malbus added. "We believe this breakthrough will significantly advance many Eternal City research programs."
"I knew you were here to ask for funding," Solomon said, turning to the girl seated beside him. "Stephanie, you've seen the results. Once the Mars Foundry and Bio Lab submit their project proposals, I want you to dispatch auditors to verify them. Also… while we don't use dollars, we still need raw materials. I want the Malik family to handle acquiring rare resources on the international market. If intelligence support is needed, you may mobilize our agents at your discretion."
"Yes, my lord." Stephanie hesitated. "But I worry this research may provoke opposition from other departments. Some may claim it violates scientific ethics."
"Do I look like a moral person to you, Stephanie?" Solomon asked blandly. "I'm a pragmatist. We're racing against time. If we were in an era of peace with no external threats, then sure, we could afford to fail and try again. But now? If the road to scientific progress is paved with corpses, I'll still walk it. We must accelerate our scientific development, absorb the advancements of civilizations across the galaxy, and expand our technical reserves. Against what's coming, we need all the preparation we can get—there is no such thing as being too ready."
He continued, "If you're worried about Wakanda's reaction, then don't let the Wakandans know."
"Princess Shuri has repeatedly protested the terms of the technology embargo."
"Then send a diplomatic letter to Wakanda," Solomon said indifferently. "Tell them the Eternal City is a partner, not a subordinate. Unless Wakanda is willing to open all its vibranium tech, the embargo will remain. And order our spies to investigate her Celestial Project research. I want proof that Wakanda has been stealing tech."
(End of Chapter)
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