Gold's Surprising Recommendation
The results of Developer Mode Gold’s advanced computation for the Prometheus Project—the search for the optimal site for the Lightning Bolt production plant—had finally arrived. “That title’s a mouthful.” The title itself had been generated by Developer Mode Gold. Of course, the naming convention had been set by Yoo Jae-won. One of the greatest drawbacks of machine learning was how difficult it was to reverse-engineer why an AI had arrived at its final choice. That was why Yoo Jae-won had instructed the system to clearly record the original purpose of every computation in the output file. At the very least, knowing the starting point made it possible to trace how the AI had reached its conclusion. Thanks to that rule, Gold’s output titles tended to run long. The best solution would have been to install a machine psychology module so the AI could explain its reasoning directly to humans, but Gold currently lacked the capacity to run one.
“Well then, let’s take a look.” Yoo Jae-won moved the mouse and double-clicked the file Gold had uploaded in Developer Mode. It would have been convenient to let the AI open the file itself, but for security reasons he had never granted it direct access to the user’s system. Even if it was a little inconvenient, it was safer to handle documents personally.
—After 23 hours and 35 minutes of advanced computation, the conclusion is……
The moment Yoo Jae-won opened the document, Developer Mode Gold began its explanation automatically.
—Dallas, Texas!
Once again, an unexpected location had appeared. Dallas was a familiar city to Yoo Jae-won. It was home to id Software, where John Carmack was currently buried in the final stages of the Pacific expansion pack; he made the trip several times a year. Still, neither Bolt’s president nor Yoo Jae-won had ever considered it a candidate, so the result felt abrupt.
Whether or not it sensed his surprise, Developer Mode Gold continued in a bright voice.
—Strategically located in the south-central United States, offering the best distribution network across all of North America!
—Proximity to NASA makes it easy to recruit highly educated engineers!
—The state of Texas offers special incentives for electric vehicle purchases!
Reasonable points followed one after another. Each time a major factor appeared, supporting logic and data filled the monitor. When explaining the distribution network, the system highlighted optimal hub locations on a map; when NASA came up, Houston appeared as well.
—Was this answer helpful?
“Yeah. Thanks. It helped a little.” Yoo Jae-won spoke as if thanking a person. The result had been produced with enough computational power to detonate three nuclear warheads, yet it had landed far from Detroit. Even so, the logic that had led to the conclusion was sound.
“That said, the Lightning Bolt North American plant is still going to be built in Detroit.”
He did not stop at gratitude; he also explained the concrete next steps. Although the advanced computation’s result had diverged completely from his own thinking, the report itself was highly satisfactory. What Yoo Jae-won valued most was that the process had unfolded through Gold’s own logical development without any artificial intervention, and the reasoning had felt entirely natural.
—Understood. I will strive to be of greater assistance next time.
Gold replied that it would do its best. Objectively speaking, the quality of the output was at the level of a high-school assignment, yet the potential for growth was limitless. Knowing that constructive feedback was essential to an AI’s development, Yoo Jae-won never spared effort when offering it.
The next day.
Yoo Jae-won had been busy since early morning for a schedule unlike his usual routine. A grand event was being held at a hotel in Los Angeles—a charity party he was hosting to support the victims of Hurricane Katrina. It was the first time in a long while that he had organized an external event, and everyone in California who wielded any influence had shown up. Being on good terms with Yoo Jae-won was never a bad thing; on the contrary, it was always helpful for business. Because the event was meant to aid disaster victims, far more people than the venue could comfortably hold had accepted the invitation, and Yoo Jae-won had admitted everyone the space could accommodate.
“I don’t think I can do this twice.”
Consequently, the person most exhausted was Yoo Jae-won himself, who had greeted guests until his energy was completely drained.
“Indeed. It may be time for the boss to start managing his stamina.”
The one who answered was Remington, the General Chairman. He had flown out to the West Coast upon hearing about the charity event. As the head of Time Warner Nextcom—the world’s largest media conglomerate—Yoo Jae-won’s trusted subordinate now looked every inch a middle-aged New Yorker who had aged gracefully. After all, as chairman of the largest media group, he met daily with America’s most powerful figures and Hollywood stars; maintaining a polished appearance had become second nature.
“How are Emma and Leon doing?”
“Very well! My daughter will be starting middle school next year. Would you like to see some photos?”
Before Yoo Jae-won could reply, Remington pulled out his Android S5 and opened the photo app. As expected of a devoted family man, pictures of his wife Shannon filled the screen, followed by countless shots of Emma—whom he adored—and Leon, now a lively little troublemaker. Seeing Remington build such a stable family, so different from his previous life, filled Yoo Jae-won with quiet satisfaction. After their first daughter Emma, their second child Leon had been born and was growing up strong; it truly felt like a miracle.
“Emma’s already going to be a middle-schooler next year. Time flies.”
“Yes. It feels like yesterday she was toddling after you, and now she’s entering the turbulent teenage years.”
“Where are you planning to send her?”
Business matters could be discussed anytime through the internal network, so their conversation naturally drifted to personal topics such as Emma’s middle-school choice.
“I’m considering a private boarding school. It’s a shame to be apart from her, but public schools simply aren’t trustworthy enough.”
Remington had originally wanted to send her to a public school as he himself had attended, but practical considerations had led him to favor a private boarding school. Yoo Jae-won nodded in agreement; it was the best option. The gap in educational quality between public and private schools in the United States was far greater than in Korea. If one wanted a high-quality education, private school was the wiser choice. Moreover, Remington was no longer an ordinary man. It was an undeniable fact that he had entered America’s uppermost class.
“By the way, Boss, you’ve pulled off quite a few big moves this time—several of them, actually.”
From the thorium reactor to Lightning Bolt’s electric vehicles, even Remington, practically family, was astonished by the flood of achievements. Last year had passed quietly, almost as if two steps had been taken backward in preparation for this year. At the praise, Yoo Jae-won gave a slightly embarrassed smile.
“Hm? But Boss, is something on your mind?”
The sharp-eyed Remington had noticed that his sole superior and young owner did not seem entirely pleased with the recent successes.
“The IDDC was a success. The problem is the thorium reactor. We’re running a bold promotional event, yet several countries are still just watching from the sidelines.”
Yoo Jae-won had no reason to hide his true thoughts from Remington, so he spoke frankly. Only then did Remington’s expression shift to one of understanding.
“Has the intelligence team reported anything?”
“No.”
The daily reports from the intelligence team were largely unchanged. The only addition was information on public sentiment in New Orleans. Thanks to the levees holding, the number of flood victims had dropped significantly, but flooding had still occurred in areas where wetlands had been lost to reckless development. Moreover, because those regions were home to many people of color, rumors were circulating that federal relief funds had been spent primarily on white communities. Had the full-scale disaster of the previous timeline occurred, such talk would never have arisen. From Yoo Jae-won’s perspective, the situation had been handled well, yet for those who had suffered direct losses, no flood could have been worse.
The federal government had moved swiftly for recovery, and ID Group had followed suit. The first priority had been installing multiple wireless relays—originally used for large outdoor events like the World Cup—to restore internet access. Even when 3G networks failed, the internet remained functional, allowing people to locate family members and coordinate recovery efforts through ID Talk and other social media. The ID Foundation, always the first to respond to disasters worldwide, had also been active. Today’s charity event was another part of that effort—raising funds to directly assist the victims.
In short, the intelligence team’s recent focus had been on natural disasters.
“I have a guess, but it needs confirmation.”
“Really? Could it be a technical issue?”
“Hardly. I’m not an engineer—how could I claim it’s a technical problem? I’ll look into it first and let you know. You’ll probably click your tongue at how absurd the reason turns out to be.”
“Hmm.”
Yoo Jae-won did not press Remington for the reason. Unnecessary preconceptions would do no good. Remington, like Choi Kang-wook, was one of the people he trusted most; he decided to wait.
—Ladies and gentlemen! The highlight of the charity event, the personal-item auction, will begin shortly. This auction features numerous rare personal items belonging to Chairman Yoo Jae-won. If you are interested, please gather in the central hall!
The neutral, mechanical voice that announced the program belonged to the AI Gold, fitting for an event hosted by Yoo Jae-won. Participation was enthusiastic. All proceeds from the auction would be donated to Hurricane Katrina victims. Being able to donate while acquiring one of Yoo Jae-won’s personal items and building a connection with him meant no one hesitated to open their wallets. The items themselves were far from ordinary. The first item up for auction was an original collector’s edition of Doom. Doom had been a worldwide hit, but its popularity in North America was on another level. Original copies were being ported to every conceivable device—not by id Software, but by fans themselves. Any machine with a processor and display had become fair game for running Doom; it had turned into a cultural phenomenon. All of it stemmed from President John Carmack’s decision to release the source code, proof of just how beloved the game remained.
The original package, in perfect condition, drew intense bidding. What had once retailed for $120 quickly surpassed $100,000 and finally sold for $200,000. That was only the beginning. The first model of the Egg series—the harbinger of all-in-one PCs—also appeared, along with a Tiffany Phone 1 embedded with real diamonds. Created through a collaboration with the American jewelry house Tiffany & Co., a limited number of these phones had been made as presentation pieces with genuine diamonds. Though cutting-edge at the time, their feature-phone limitations meant most had already been replaced. The devices themselves had not been discarded, however; Tiffany & Co. offered a service to remove the diamonds and turn them into rings. Consequently, units that still retained their original diamonds were exceedingly rare, and this one came with all its original components intact—an ultra-rare item. Even so, the Tiffany Phone did not set the highest price of the evening. That honor went to the final item.
“Ten million!”
—Ten million dollars. Do we have a higher bid? I will count to ten.
—Ten, nine, eight…… Two, one! Sold! Lightning Bolt’s LV-F2 has been sold for ten million dollars.
The final item was the Lightning Bolt Model F2, which had demonstrated remarkable autonomous-driving capabilities two years earlier. Most of the F2 prototypes built for testing had been destroyed, leaving only three intact. Yoo Jae-won had put one up for auction to support the Katrina victims. Everyone had been eyeing it, but the moment the bidding opened at ten million dollars, all momentum for higher bids vanished. Even the influential Californians in attendance found ten million dollars burdensome. All eyes turned toward the person who had made the bid, and upon seeing who it was, heads nodded in understanding.
“Frederick!”
The one who had casually bid ten million dollars was Frederick Taylor II, owner of Chevron and Tiffany’s grandfather. Frederick looked considerably more frail than before, though he was still able to move about. His butler Alfred followed quietly behind him as always.
“I thought you weren’t coming.”
As the host, Yoo Jae-won had stood at the entrance greeting guests, yet Frederick had been absent when the auction began.
“How could I miss my granddaughter’s husband doing something good?”
The words were deeply appreciated, yet Yoo Jae-won doubted Frederick had traveled all this way merely to attend a charity event. He rarely left home these days.
“Shall we talk for a moment?”
As expected, Frederick had a specific matter to discuss. Yoo Jae-won immediately led him to a private area.
“Even after acquiring Westinghouse, the thorium reactor still isn’t selling, and you’re worried about it, aren’t you?”
Frederick brought up the thorium reactor without preamble.