I am weak and friendly

Chapter 211 So this is what you're like, vending machine... Mother?

“Strictly speaking, it was the company before, before, before…” M-bald programmer sighed and said, “It was a good company, with technology and ambition, but unfortunately, it still went bankrupt in the end. If it were now, with the AI ​​boom, maybe they could have continued to survive, or even be at the forefront of the times. In any case, this thing can be considered embodied intelligence.”

As he spoke, he took the glass of water that Tang Yiping handed him, unscrewed the cap, took a sip, smacked his lips, felt that there was nothing wrong with it, and then gulped it all down.

He was indeed thirsty.

Tang Yiping was a little confused. He said, "An AI explosion?"

What does a vending machine company have to do with AI?
"We developed an algorithm that can use cameras to sense users' emotions and create user profiles. Then, it can recommend products based on users' emotions and even establish emotional connections. For example, if you are passing by sweating profusely, the vending machine will stop you and ask if you are thirsty and want a drink. You know, people always feel thirsty when someone asks them."

"In this kind of weather, it will recommend something iced. If you drink too much cold food or feel uncomfortable after drinking cold food, it will remember you and recommend room temperature or hot food the next time you pass by, or even other drinks... Over time, you'll find it's like an old friend, caring about your needs and remembering all your preferences... It can also customize your user interface, using different images, voices, and even personalities depending on your goals... It might even offer you credit. For example, if you're a frequent customer, it might give you a free drink, telling you it's a gift. If you have a particularly good relationship, it might even go beyond cost limits and give you things whenever it sees you, because we've calculated that most people don't go to that level, so the cost is completely covered..."

Tang Yiping: "???"

What Cybernetic Skynet, Refrigerator Nora?

A vending machine girl?

"Isn't that idealistic? They call this feature 'Lingxi'..." M-bald programmer shook his head. "I don't know how they did it, but the prototype was very close to success at the time. I tested it, and the effect was excellent."

Lingxi? Tang Yiping looked down at the somewhat rusty name on the vending machine: "Lingxi" series remote interactive terminal.

"Although I was only responsible for a very small part of it, looking back now, it was the closest I ever came to changing the world. Back then at Touchpoint Interactive, I worked day and night. I felt energetic as soon as I opened my eyes, thinking I was doing something really awesome, and I longed to succeed one day..."

"That's not right. If there were such an advanced vending machine, it would have been a hit by now," Tang Yiping said.

Tang Yiping was certain he had never heard of anything so outrageous.

The bald programmer smiled.

It has a slightly bitter taste.

"At the time, they received a large amount of investment, but the investors believed that such a groundbreaking product should be a hit. They also did not want other people to invest in the early stages, so the early testing phase was kept secret. Although a large number of vending machines were deployed, the 'Lingxi' function was not actually launched."

"Unfortunately, the final version was never released. At a critical moment, the funding chain broke, and the biggest investor suddenly withdrew. Overnight, the company collapsed, and everyone scattered. The two founders struggled to hold on for a while, but eventually couldn't, and had to declare bankruptcy. I don't know what happened after that... Since then, my condition has plummeted. I can't do anything right, and things have been incredibly unlucky. I've applied to several companies, but nothing has gone smoothly, and now I've been laid off..."

"I still can't understand why they withdrew their investment. We were about to succeed... They invested so much money and were about to make a profit! Why is that!"

"...This thing, you haven't seen it for years." The bald programmer patted the vending machine. "The cost of one unit is higher than a luxury car. The configuration inside is now much higher than that of a regular mainstream computer. It's basically comparable to a self-driving car. We've deployed at least several thousand of these. Can you imagine how much that costs? Sometimes when I'm really struggling, I even think about secretly taking apart a couple and selling them..."

Tang Yiping was speechless.

He suddenly understood why Lagrange could use this vending machine as his temporary prosthetic body.

This thing is not an ordinary vending machine at all!
Putting so much money into a vending machine is truly a bold idea, and a daring act.

But why?

"What were you doing at your company back then?" Tang Yiping asked. "I was in charge of a rather niche algorithm that used data collected from vending machines to calculate a 'stability index' for the entire area. Specifically, it involved calculating an overall score based on factors like user purchasing power, emotional stability, and sales trends. This score was then used to adjust the products distributed to reduce waste and save resources. Several people were working on this, and I wrote a noise reduction algorithm that could extract useful information with very high precision. Based on this, the calculated values ​​were very accurate and highly instructive, so I was put in charge of this task..."

Tang Yiping found the code increasingly familiar. His eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Ah, I know! The code you were referring to is called the signal-to-noise ratio critical stabilizer, right? It's an algorithm used for noise reduction, numbered 162... I remember now, your ID is... is... Lway023!"

This time, the bald programmer was completely dumbfounded.

"how do you know?"

Who would remember who number 162 is?

"Your code is amazing, of course I know that!" Tang Yiping said. "It's better than all the... uh, no, better than all the other noise reduction algorithms I've ever seen online. It's hard to imagine that this algorithm was written 20 years ago."

Tang Yiping extended his hand to the bald programmer M: "Hey bro, let's get acquainted. My name is Tang Yiping."

The bald programmer was stunned. He smiled wryly and said, "What kind of big shot am I? My name is Wei Song. Everyone calls me Lao Wei. You can call me Lao Wei or Brother Wei if you like..."

"Brother Wei, what's the algorithm you mentioned earlier for calculating the values ​​for each region called?"

“Regional stability algorithm,” Wei Song said. “This algorithm is rather strange; the lower the value, the better. I remember the average value at the time was -0.92.”

Two words flashed through Tang Yiping's mind.

Negative entropy.

"Damn it!" he cursed.

He knew who the investor was.

……

"Good morning! Today the weather is sunny, with temperatures ranging from 27 to 35 degrees Celsius. The regional negative entropy is -1.09. It's a new day; please continue your hard work to reduce entropy. Our world needs your selfless dedication! Please stand in front of the probe to measure your entropy for today. Please stand in front of the probe..."

Fan Zhihong hid behind a monitoring booth, watching the alley across the street.

He glanced down at the note in his hand.

The address of the alley across the street is written on it.

Regardless of why Tang asked him to come here, he felt that Tang wouldn't harm him, and that there must be something there that could help him.

He looked around, and as a patrol car drove past the corner, Fan Zhihong sprinted out and rushed into the alley across the street.

"Your entropy is -1.52. You are a true social elite. Cheers to you!"

Then, with a "pop," a carton of milk popped out of the monitoring booth.

Fan Zhihong stumbled. What?
When did my entropy become so low?
(End of this chapter)