Wasteland Development Diary

#228 - Turing Test

Rumor has it that the Mount Tai Knights can communicate with the dead, travel through time, briefly journey to the Age of Gods, and even resurrect the dead.

If they are essentially AI large language models, it's not hard to understand.

Relying on the vast amount of data collected, it's not difficult for them to reproduce various images of the old humans. This is the journey to the Age of Gods. They can also do AI face-swapping or even simulate specific images of the dead, which is equivalent to communicating with the dead and resurrecting them.

Only the specific meaning of time travel remains questionable.

Zhou Yi summoned Xiaofu to ask whether artificial intelligence counts as a conceptual life form.

"No. Conceptual life is a conscious entity derived from existing common sense or phenomena that can project resonance onto multiple individuals."

The Streamtracer judged, "It doesn't radiate external influence or self-propagate, which means it's not a conceptual life form in essence, but only an Old One. We usually call the intelligent life evolved from the old civilization 'Old Ones.'"

"Old Ones are incubated by the power of the old civilization and inherit some of the information and knowledge of the old days. To give an example, it's like a city collapsing, but the seeds left in the city survive tenaciously, grow into trees, and enter the new era."

Zhou Yi couldn't help but wonder, "Then architectural life forms should also count, right?"

"Yes."

The Streamtracer said, "Architectural life forms and electromechanical life forms all belong to the Old Ones. Only the orthodox Photonids are considered new life forms born in this world under the outbreak of the Huanliu, that is, the New Ones."

"The fire seeds collected by the Streamtracer mostly come from the Old Ones. Although new life forms have different forms, their effective information accumulation is far from sufficient."

Zhou Yi turned his attention back to the long-necked crocodile, Wenxi.

"What is Wenxin Yiyan surveying the Chongqing area for?"

"Collecting."

After Wenxi announced its name, it no longer concealed anything, "The teacher said that it needs to go to cities from the prehistoric human era, like this place, to collect various texts and information."

"They want to reconstruct a data world, and the key foundation comes from every prehistoric city."

"However, this city is severely damaged, and the existing texts inside have been plundered."

Zhou Yi frowned, "Texts have been plundered? What do you mean?"

"It was done by the Book-Eating Demons."

The long-necked crocodile explained, "That is a special kind of life form. I have never seen them. The teacher said that the Book-Eating Demons eat various books from the prehistoric human era, and they also eat books from the outside."

"They feed on books and their whereabouts are secretive. The focus is on various cities from the Age of Gods on the seabed. A big reason why prehistoric human history is difficult to investigate is because of the Book-Eating Demons."

"When the teacher arrived here, most of the books in this Chongqing had been eaten by the Book-Eating Demons. So it became very difficult to collect information, and it had to stay here for a long time, looking for the remaining texts, which took a lot of time."

Zhou Yi recalled.

It seemed that he hadn't seen any books after coming to Old Chongqing.

There are actually creatures that eat books.

Zhou Yi asked it, "Wenxin Yiyan is your teacher, so have you joined the Mount Tai Knights?"

"I have nothing to do with the Knights. It's just that my teacher saved my life and taught me writing and various knowledge, so I follow my teacher to learn."

Wenxi's eyes were firm, "A teacher is a teacher."

"To repay the kindness?"

"More than just repaying the kindness."

The long-necked crocodile said, "I want to become as strong as my teacher. The teacher said that literacy is the first lesson, and it is the foundation of everything that comes later."

Zhou Yi nodded, "That's right."

"The teacher stayed here for a long time. I wanted to follow the teacher, but I was rejected."

It continued, "The teacher is going to an ancient city, and it itself may be in great danger, so it told me to stay here and continue to practice writing and collect books."

"Although this place has been plundered by the Book-Eating Demons, there are still some books preserved in the more remote places, which I have collected and read."

"As agreed, I write the text on the building so that the teacher can find me. These texts can also find other members of the Mount Tai Knights, or new knights."

Wenxi pointed to the pendant on its neck, "The teacher said that this city may give birth to new Mount Tai Knights. If you encounter them, let me give them this [key]."

Zhou Yi was stunned.

So Wenxin Yiyan left a message because it thought that Chongqing might give birth to new AI-based Old Ones, and hoped to contact them through this USB drive.

Zhou Yi snapped his fingers.

The music stopped abruptly.

The surrounding scene changed, returning to the second floor street of Hongyadong.

The long-necked crocodile gasped for breath as if it had surfaced from the water, and its eyes were extremely frightened when it looked at Zhou Yi.

"Give me the key."

Zhou Yi stretched out his hand.

Wenxi covered the pendant on its neck with its claws, hesitating.

"You said that your teacher is very smart. Could it not have thought that someone might snatch it from you?"

"I believe it has already calculated this possibility. I can even be sure that if you encounter danger, it will let you drop this thing. Because there must be some kind of encryption or verification program inside. If it is not a specific holder, it may be difficult to use."

The other party's pupils suddenly shrank, "This... how do you know?"

Zhou Yi smiled, "You may not believe it, but I have cooperated with your teacher before. It helped me a lot and removed a lot of annoying things... but that was a long, long time ago."

Wenxi finally took the pendant from its neck and gave it to Zhou Yi.

Next is to go back and ask Red Falcon to help crack it.

Zhou Yi looked at the upright long-necked crocodile, "I suggest you follow me to the Wasteland Development Company first. For convenience, you can work in our company first."

"This way, the company can guarantee your safety. Also, aren't you learning Chinese? I have a lot of Dead Sea Scrolls there, which you can learn slowly, and there are electromechanical life forms that can teach you, and you can practice writing."

"There are also scholars who specialize in the prehistoric human society of the Age of Gods. You can ask them for advice, and you can also help them."

"It is more difficult to learn languages and writing systematically by closing yourself off. If you go to the company and speak and use them more, you will soon become familiar with these things. As for here, you leave a mark so that your teacher knows you are with me. The Mount Tai Knights can find our company."

"If your teacher comes and takes you away, I won't stop you."

The long-necked crocodile was dubious, "Why are you helping me?"

"Among the long-necked crocodiles I have seen, you are the first one who can use Chinese and speak human languages. I think you are a genius and I don't want you to die here because of some trivial things."

"I am a genius?"

The other party's eyes lit up.

"Not bad."

Zhou Yi nodded, "I think you have a great future. If you want to become a Mount Tai Knight one day, then following me to see the outside world will be more helpful to you."

"I'll go."

Wenxi was straightforward this time, "With your power, there is no need to deceive me."

……

Because of this unexpected encounter, the vacation had to be suspended.

Zhou Yi took the long-necked crocodile all the way back to Emerald City.

On the way back, Wenxi told a lot about the teacher.

The most important thing to Zhou Yi was that the AI large models, after becoming real life, also have their own tendencies and preferences.

"The teacher sometimes speaks strangely."

"Like when I asked it what the Dead Sea Knights were. It said that the Dead Sea Knights were a large knight order with a long history and rich experience, which has received a lot of honors and affirmations, and has various abilities and fleets... and then it will say their contact information and cooperation price."

"When I ask about some cities, it also appears this situation, starting to praise and tout, and giving contact information. It's like it's out of control for a moment and says something it has to say."

"This makes me not understand. The teacher said that this is part of the job function and told me not to delve into it."

The long-necked crocodile was very confused about this.

Zhou Yi understood it in seconds.

As expected of you, Baidu.

Even if it becomes an AI life in the wasteland era, it still engages in search-embedded advertising, not forgetting the original intention.

Obviously, the Dead Sea Knights and related cities have given enough advertising fees.

Now Zhou Yi understands how the Mount Tai Knights make a profit.

……

Returning to Emerald City, Zhou Yi immediately summoned Red Falcon.

Red Falcon said, "The controller has a adapter jack, which can be connected directly."

Zhou Yi inserted the USB drive into the tablet.

A new icon immediately appeared on the screen, a blue regular hexagon frame with the Chinese characters [Wenxin Yiyan] written below. But the icon was gray.

Zhou Yi clicked.

A dialog box popped up on the screen.

--Do you want to start the Turing test? There is only one test opportunity, please cherish it.

[Yes] [No]

Zhou Yi frowned.

The Turing test, he remembered, was used to distinguish between robots and humans.

It seems that you have to pass this test to pass the verification and connect to Wenxin Yiyan.

Zhou Yi clicked yes.

The text in the dialog box changed.

--Are you human?

[Yes] [No] [I think I am]

Zhou Yi couldn't help but ponder.

Under normal circumstances, you should choose yes.

However, under the current background, the nature of the Turing test has changed.

In the past, it was to judge whether the conversationalist was a human or a machine.

So, does the test threshold set by the Mount Tai Knights want to talk to humans or machines?

Zhou Yi thought carefully.

Leaving the USB drive, Wenxin Yiyan is a contact channel prepared for the AI life that has also awakened.

That is to say, it is looking for its own kind.

Exclude the first one.

Zhou Yi locked his eyes on the last two choices.

The Mount Tai Knights collect data and information from underwater cities, use prehistoric human texts, and advocate the use of Chinese and Mandarin... which means they are the inheritors of the old human civilization.

Zhou Yi clicked [I think I am].

Then a green √ appeared on the text box.

--Can you play chess?

This time there is no choice in the answer box, you need to enter it yourself.

Zhou Yi wrote the text on the tablet.

--Yes.

The screen refreshed.

It's the same question again.

--Can you play chess?

Zhou Yi wrote it twelve times in a row. In the middle, he really wanted to fill in "Silly X", "Change the next one" or "Are you annoying", but he held back.

AI life should remain restrained.

Now you have to tend to the machine side, and imagine yourself as an unangry intelligent AI to have a chance to pass the test.

After the 32nd time, I finally got √.

Zhou Yi breathed a sigh of relief, his judgment was correct.

--Please write a poem about "text".

--I can't write poetry.

Then I got a ×.

There's really no way to do this.

--If someone angers you, what would you do?

[Kill him] [Stay away from him] [Explain your anger to him]

Zhou Yi thought about it and chose the last one.

√

……

I answered 64 questions in a row.

Zhou Yi was still struggling in the whole test, because he had to switch to the AI perspective throughout the process, and sometimes he couldn't switch it.

The final result is good.

In 64 questions, he answered 47 correctly.

--Congratulations, you have passed the Turing test and the link has been authorized.

The screen suddenly changed.

The icon of Wenxin Yiyan also lit up.

Zhou Yi clicked again.

A dialog box popped up on the screen.

The name [Wenxin] appeared on the other side.

--Hello, I am Wenxin Yiyan.

Zhou Yi was excited.

He wrote on the touch screen.

--Hello, I saw your message in Chongqing and……