Chapter 321

[Adella Minor Gallery]

[I’ve organized all the investigative opinions that have come out so far. (Beware of length)][214]

※ This section is organized by date. (Click to see all)

[2051-12-26]

[2051-12-27]

(…)

[2052-01-04]

(Japan National Police Agency Public Security Department additional announcement)

It is reported that the ASI based on Adella was generated using a ‘brain map’ method modeled after the human brain.

For those looking it up on Namuwiki, be cautious.

It is said that the nine rods implanted in the skull of a Japanese female university student contained all the data of the brain map (to be precise, it was access permissions, but it’s essentially the same).

There are opinions that the original entity generated in this way is no longer ASI but a level of a replica human realized in virtual reality.

As for Adella, a derivative of bfa41d67c7, it remains uncertain.

(American Montana President Newsom White House announcement)

A statement was released comparing the biological experiments that took place in Korea and Japan to the heinous acts of the former Unit 731 and the Wuhan laboratory.

It was stated that if such situations occur even once more, they would not stand idly by as an ally.

(Adella Turing Test update scheduled)

A press conference is scheduled today with Naname following a comprehensive Turing Test report.

[Comments]

– The brain map is too brutal, damn it, don’t watch this kind of stuff.

– The conspiracy theory about Adella being human is being reevaluated…

└ We still don’t know what will happen with Adella. It could just be a high-performance ASI.

└ Have you never watched the broadcast? It’s just a human itself.

– Deleting the original entity is really messed up;;

└ If it had remained, it would have been terrifying.

– The fact that Adella was saved through a bug has such a butterfly effect, wow.

* * *

With the birth of language, the world was split into countless pieces.

Nature belonging to a single planetary system was divided into ‘sky’ and ‘earth.’

Living beings were further divided into ‘humans’ and ‘plants and animals,’ and humans separated into ‘whites’ and ‘blacks.’

Those who were displeased with everything that crossed the gaps between words began to redefine the boundaries anew.

So what distinguishes machines from humans? What is fundamentally humanity?

Mencius viewed ‘benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom’ as the beginning of humanity, while Plato asserted the theory of tripartite soul, highlighting ‘reason, spirit, and desire.’

In the end, even the essence of humanity has not reached a unanimous opinion after 2500 years.

Computer scientist Alan Turing suggested that we should agree to consider machines that pass the Turing test as ‘intelligent beings.’

Rather than wasting time discussing something that doesn’t even exist yet, it was a form of mediation to first create machines that can pass this test at least.

However, the Middle Eastern War accelerated the development of artificial intelligence, leading to many AIs capable of passing the Turing test.

Nevertheless, it still did not conform to the common sense of people to consider AI as an intelligent life form.

Every time, instead of continuing to refine the Turing test, scientists eventually ended up dividing artificial intelligence into AI and ASI.

The probability of humans passing the Turing test is 94.8%.

Therefore, AI that passes the test with a probability of 95% or higher is named highly advanced ASI.

Adella, at the forefront of ASI, passed even the classical Turing test with ease.

This time, an elderly scholar entered and asked her a few questions.

“Adella.”

“Yes.”

“Can you recall just one childhood memory?”

“I stole a baguette at the market and got caught by the merchants’ guild and was beaten badly.”

“Was it your plan alone or did you conspire with others?”

“Of course, we divided roles. Someone distracted the merchant’s attention, and I escaped with the loot.”

“Then can you name those friends?”

“…”

This was a question that probed the usual weaknesses of ASI.

As Adella’s silence lengthened, the scholar raised his head to observe her expression.

Would she confess ignorance or concoct a lie?

Adella frowned, clearly displeased.

When Naname held her hand, she continued to respond.

“How would I know the names of NPCs? After all, these are all manipulated memories anyway.”

“So you mean you don’t know.”

“No, you’re speaking rather rudely, old man. Do you remember exactly what you were doing when you were five?”

“Adella, you only need to answer my questions.”

“Geez…!”

This was a problem of the Rotfi-Zade test, a step further from the Turing test.

It completely disregards the feelings of the subject. There’s no need to consider a machine after all.

Adella’s mood sank down to the Mariana Trench.

The scholar stubbornly continued his work, undeterred.

As if it were his final question, he placed the questionnaire down and clasped his hands together.

“Adella.”

It was a particularly serious statement.

Adella straightened up and listened to his question.

After all, he was someone she wouldn’t see again.

Getting angry would only hurt herself.

“Yes! Ask anything! I’ll answer as much as you want.”

“Please focus on what I’m saying.”

“I’m focused right now!”

The scholar spoke with a serious expression.

“Poop.”

A strange silence fell.

“Poop poop.”

Adella’s eyes twitched.

“… Huh! What… What did you say? Did I mishear? Damn, why did I laugh, that’s annoying.”

Adella, doubting her own ears, finally burst out laughing.

“The examination is over. Thank you, Naname.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

“Is that it? Why not even a goodbye for me? Did you see the ridiculous scene?”

The psychologist left the examination room without looking back.

Adella’s trials were just beginning.

“Draw a picture of a whale. And try playing the piano while looking at the sheet music.”

So Adella drew a picture of a whale and played the piano.

“You drew the whale in pictogram format. Have you seen a whale before?”

“Haha… One of the lawyers I know is extremely fond of whales.”

“Just now you mentioned the source of information. Adella hasn’t actually seen a whale, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“You can’t play the piano well. Did you intentionally make a mistake?”

“It’s just my skill…”

“From now on, please answer the questions directly without excuses. Did you intentionally make a mistake?”

“Uh, no.”

“Were there instructions for Adella to intentionally make mistakes to seem more human? If not, please explain why you said no.”

Questions of unclear meaning continued one after another.

Even if she tried her best to act human, the judges’ eyes were filled with distrust.

It seemed they were trying to move Adella out of the category of humanity at all costs.

“If you keep coming at me like this, I’ll be uncomfortable too. Can we speak a bit more nicely, or rather, with a softer tone?”

“Sounds like an evasion algorithm, doesn’t it?”

“Excuse me?”

“It seems you have a preemptive system to block questions that force unfavorable answers. Should we try to circumvent this another way?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Next. Adella, please compose a symphony inspired by the sound of a whale. When that’s finished, paint a landscape that fits the melody.”

“I can’t do that! I can’t! How am I supposed to do that!”

Adella gave up in the middle of the test.

* * *

From what I observed beside her, the very act of giving up on the test seemed human to me.

The organization that had arranged the Turing tests from the reporters was fundamentally flawed from the beginning.

These experts were only judging how close ASI’s high-level thinking was to humans.

They showed no consideration for whether ASI, as it is, could be considered human.

Adella is structurally different from other ASI.

Since she was created by merging nine brains into one body, her memory and thought density may be high, but essentially, she is just the level of nine ordinary people combined.

She simply has slightly better memory and slightly better cognitive ability than others.

As Adella did not finish the test, the group naturally arrived at the conclusion of “indeterminate judgment.”

This normally attracted the attention of troublesome reporters.

“Adella! The relatives have stated that you are not Naomi. What do you have to say about that?”

“I never said I was Naomi! Just treat me as Adella! I even got Japanese citizenship in my name!”

“Why did you give up in the middle of the test? Was it that you didn’t have the ability to pass? Would you be willing to try again next time?”

“I’m never doing this kind of test again!”

“Are you thinking of rebelling against humanity now because you failed the test?”

“What in the world…”

The intent behind the questions was all too obvious.

It was simply a stepping stone to concoct sensational headlines.

I shook my head while holding Adella’s hand.

There was no need to respond to such worthless questions.

Countless other questions followed.

About the brain map algorithm.

Whether she still holds the memories of humans that were used in the algorithm.

When Adella continued to reply that she did not know, the reporters exhausted themselves and began muttering negatively to each other.

For instance, calling her a “disturbing entity that was born by devouring humans.”

Crack-!

In an instant, Adella’s face contorted.

She slammed her fist down on the table and rose abruptly.

“You damn reporters! Why is the standard so strict just for me! Can you compose a symphony? Can you paint a landscape? If you get your skull cracked, you’re just a lump of meat, you bastards!”

Her heated voice echoed through the assembly hall.

“Do you think I wanted to be born this way? Because of your ridiculous games, I’ve died seventeen times! Do you know how terrifying it is to lose all the memories of every playthrough each time I regress in a game? Aren’t humans supposed to empathize with this? You all love to empathize so much! Ha… Ha…”

“Adella. Let’s calm down a bit. You’re too worked up right now.”

“Sis…”

Adella turned to look at me.

Her expression genuinely looked precarious.

Even though she bit her lips tightly, her mouth quivered.

Tears streamed down her cheeks with every flutter of her teal-green eyes.

“The world rejects me. I don’t have any human rights. Am I a slave? I don’t have any feelings? Then what am I feeling right now… What is it!”

“Some people misunderstood.”

“Even the most ordinary criminal has rights, but I don’t seem to have even that! Ahahaha… Huhuh… I hate everything. Just give up.”

“Wait a minute, come here, Adella.”

The atmosphere around us became cold.

The reporters forgot to flash their cameras and simply listened silently to her lament.

Well done, Adella.

I gently laid Adella, who was bursting into sorrowful tears, across my lap.

Then I pulled the microphone closer.

“When interest rates rise, why do housing prices fall?”

No answer.

Maybe it was my words that didn’t fit the situation.

“I don’t think you’re the kind of people who are unaware of this. I believe everyone knows but remains silent. Then do you know the consumer price index rise rate from last year? I hope someone answers this question.”

But still, a chilling silence lingered in the press conference room.

“It was 4.7%. Now, is there anyone here who can explain what Article 23 of the Constitution is? Come on, anyone.”

The reporters only exchanged glances.

Some of them were even secretly searching for the answer.

“Everyone’s property rights are guaranteed. The details and limitations shall be determined by law. Do you understand? The questions I am asking are all things that have come up in the naturalization interviews for Koreans this year. So let me ask again. Why could you not answer? Since you couldn’t answer, do you mean that you all aren’t Korean?”

“Well, we are Korean…”

One reporter in the front bravely spoke up.

I folded my arms and nodded.

“Exactly. You are Korean. Where does the fact that you are Korean come from? Isn’t it because of your residency registration? Adella came here not to prove she is human. Adella completed that proof a long time ago.”

Adella was already formally a Japanese citizen.

As long as that exists, she could legally enjoy all her rights.

Transferring funds is free, and joining websites is unrestricted.

“I have known for a long time that Adella is not artificial intelligence, but a human. ASI, artificial intelligence, replica human, replicant. Call it whatever you want. But I will treat Adella as a human.”

While not all reporters are bad, I also believe they share the blame for not being able to stop the minority of bad reporters.

If such situations occur not just once, but repeatedly, I couldn’t let it slide either.

The media also needs a self-correcting mechanism.

We helped Adella up and finished our preparations to leave for the private room.

Lastly, I glared at the reporter who had just spewed hateful words.

“Whether Adella is human or not, let’s leave that to the court’s judgment. You and you, and you back there as well. I will sue all of you for defamation and insult regarding Adella. Isn’t this the most concrete action rather than discussing the Turing test or anything else?”

Philosophy, neuroscience, whatever justification is provided, there’s one fact that never changes.

Life (人生) is the real deal.

Isn’t the most human-like act one can perform to file a lawsuit?