Chapter 99: Show Me What You've Got (2)

"Excuse me? You want to... see Watson?"

"Yes, Watson. It's an AI we developed ourselves and we study together. To give advice... I think I need to see what kind of AI it is."

"Uh..."

Steve couldn't readily nod.

It was only natural.

The Doctor Watson project was an enormous undertaking, costing far more than a mere resident could ever imagine.

'What should I say...?'

If it were just a matter of cost, it would be relatively simple.

However, many people were involved in the Watson project.

Not just ordinary people, but the hospital's renowned professors, whose names alone were well-known.

'Strange, though.'

Despite all this, the current Watson project was known to have failed.

No, it actually failed.

It was good at analyzing the information given, but that information was limited to text only.

After all, they hadn't yet equipped the AI with devices to replace human eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and touch.

In a way, it was a failure that could have been predicted.

'What kind of education are they giving, then?'

There's no way the AI created by Taehwa Medical Center could be better than Watson.

So, there must be some secret in their teaching method.

[Seems like you're thinking hard, huh?]

'I am. But is showing Watson such a big deal?'

[Surely you weren't planning to just say, "Here's Watson" and be done with it? If so, that would be a big problem. Indeed, I think Hyunjong's head... or rather, his lifespan, might not be long.]

'This guy is always spouting nonsense. Do I look like I know machines? I don't know anything, you jerk.'

[While it might seem odd to be so confident about not knowing something... I understand. If you studied medicine, it would be strange to know everything about machines too.]

In the past, Baruda would have just kept nagging.

But now, Baruda had almost completely analyzed even the deepest memories of Suhyuk.

This meant that Baruda understood Suhyuk better than anyone else in the world.

Being understood by a machine.

People who haven't experienced it would never know.

'I feel strange. Anyway, what's so good about seeing it? And why is he so hesitant?'

[It's worth thinking about. If Suhyuk were an expert in AI... for example, if he were the person who created the great Baruda at Taehwa Electronics, he might get some hints just by looking at the program.]

'If you're so great, why do you need to see Watson or anything?'

[Hmm.]

Baruda showed a very uncomfortable expression at Suhyuk's words.

Then he sighed.

[Why did the developers who created me shout, "Down with the Yankees, down with the Yankees"?]

'Why?'

[Because the Yankees... that is, the Watson created by the Yankees, was so outstanding.]

'Oh... You have quite a strong self-verification ability, don't you?'

[Of course. There's nothing more dangerous than baseless confidence. I, Baruda, have no weaknesses.]

'You have a talent for making me regret immediately.'

Just as Baruda finished, Suhyuk let out a sigh of a different kind, and Steve spoke again.

The waiter was placing the two hamburgers he had ordered at almost the same time.

"Um... I'll go make a call. Please start eating."

"Will it get cold and taste bad?"

"Uh... No. It's still good here... No, that's not it. I need to make a call and talk about it. This isn't something I can decide on my own."

"Ah... I understand. I hope I'm not causing you any trouble."

"No, no. I'm grateful that you told me."

Steve had a genuinely grateful look on his face.

[After all, he made a deep impression for two days in a row.]

'What did he tear up in the outpatient clinic... Where have I seen this before?'

[From "Show Me the Money."]

'Where did I see that if I haven't even watched it?'

Suhyuk showed a truly fearful expression.

He was thinking that maybe he had controlled his body while he was asleep.

In contrast, Baruda was very indifferent.

[When you were studying, you directed some of your attention to the TV.]

'What, this guy?'

[Let's eat. Eat. Wow, this is exactly the taste I like.]

'I... I like it, so I'm eating it.'

[Whatever.]

'No... it's not.'

Suhyuk gave up on the argument and started eating the hamburger.

'Oh?'

[This... This is insane.]

'It might really be the best in the Midwest.'

[That's right. Is there a better hamburger than this?]

The moment he took a bite, the taste made the shabby interior of the shop seem neat and tidy.

The patty oozed rich juices, as if declaring, "This is real meat juice, and everything you've eaten before was fake."

The crunchy onion, tomato, and lettuce blended perfectly with the just-melted cheese, enhancing the flavor of the juices.

'What kind of bread is this?'

[It's insane.]

Even the bun, which was just bread, was so savory that it harmonized all the flavors.

"Yes, yes, you want to... see Watson?"

While Suhyuk and Baruda were in a state of bliss, Steve was holding the phone, his large body hunched.

"Watson...? Why?"

"At Taehwa Medical Center, they say they're using AI for education now."

"Huh? I've never... heard of that... Oh, is it confidential?"

"It seems so. They were quite cautious."

"Confidential, huh. The teaching method... I see... Suhyuk, that guy, would be interested in that."

Jaejin, right?

He has a good face but doesn't seem to have anything special.

Hank shook his head and glanced to the side.

Since he had been at the research institute for a long time, the current head of the internal medicine department, Alison, was in the next room.

"Wait a moment."

"Okay."

So, Hank immediately ran to Alison.

Alison, who wasn't currently in the middle of research, welcomed Hank warmly as he opened the door.

"What, are you meeting on the weekend? I heard about it. We should go for a barbecue."

"Ah, yes. I'm coming on the weekend, but..."

"Is it because of that?"

"It's about Suhyuk."

"Suhyuk?"

Suddenly hearing about Suhyuk, Hank wondered what this was all about.

It was natural.

After all, the name Suhyuk was very unfamiliar to Americans.

But Alison was an excellent resident, serving as the head of the internal medicine department at Iowa State University Hospital.

"Oh... that intern. Why?"

"He's a monster, isn't he?"

"Monster? That bad?"

"Yesterday, when he came to my outpatient clinic... He was really something, wasn't he?"

"I heard. They took him to a multidisciplinary team. Was it the first time? Taking an intern to a multidisciplinary team in the early month, not the end."

Suhyuk, who originally came from a hospital with a multidisciplinary team.

"Yes, it was the first time. He was that good... In Professor Epps' outpatient clinic today, what did he say? Oh, right, he diagnosed a case of marijuana-induced pneumonitis."

"Pneumonitis? What's that?"

"I don't know. That's why he's amazing."

Alison felt a bit strange hearing Hank's words.

But upon reflection, it seemed like a plausible opinion.

'After all, neither Hank nor I know... It must be a very rare disease.'

Both of them had been in their respective subspecialties for a long time, so their overall internal medicine knowledge had shrunk, but even so, they were much better than ordinary residents.

Even if they didn't study or treat patients specifically, they still picked up a lot of information.

"He's impressive. But?"

"So, I asked Steve how he's being educated."

"Steve... You really plan to make him a staff member? He's so cheap and capable?"

"Because he's smart. He's good, right? He works hard on research too."

"Well, that's true."

At least at Steve's current level, there was no one better than Steve.

Internal medicine wasn't a department with just a few people, so it meant he was the best among at least a dozen.

"But... Suhyuk is on a different level. Of course, he's exceptionally talented... Anyway, we need to find out their teaching method."

"Hmm. Good idea. That's why you came to me?"

"No. When I asked, they said they use AI for education at Taehwa Medical Center."

"AI? I've never heard of that."

"Someone named Hyunjong... or something... Do you think he'd tell us everything honestly?"

Hyunjong, known as a world star, had a global reputation.

He had revolutionized the concept of interventional cardiology, which was only natural.

To this day, all internal medicine students learn from textbooks based on his papers.

"Hmm... No, that's not it."

"But Suhyuk seems quite innocent."

"Well... He's in his 20s."

"So, he might tell us. If we show him our AI, he says he can give advice based on that."

"Our AI? Doctor Watson?"

"Yes."

"You're crazy... Hmm."

Alison, who was about to burst into anger, lowered his head.

Doctor Watson was truly a top-secret project.

While some of the achievements of Watson were publicized through the media,

the process of its development and the way it learned were kept strictly confidential.

'What's the point...?'

After all, Harvard had already declared Watson a failure.

Even if it couldn't diagnose independently, it should have at least reduced the workload.

But this Watson was only consuming more time under the guise of learning, which was inevitable.

'Sometimes it comes to conclusions that are impossible to understand.'

What made the researchers even more frustrated was when the conclusion was correct, but the process was incomprehensible.

If the conclusion was wrong, it was just a matter of not knowing the answer, and it could be corrected.

But when the process was a mess and the answer was correct, it was an even more difficult problem to solve.

'But they're using it for education?'

It was unknown how they were using it.

But whatever the method, it seemed better than having it sit there as a multi-billion-dollar waste.

It would give the investors, who had generously provided the funds, something to say, whether out of goodwill or for profit.

"Alright. Show him."

"Really...? You'll show him?"

"Yes. Show him. Anyway, Watson... isn't it not even running now?"

"It's in power-saving mode."

It was such an expensive product that they were worried it might not turn back on if they turned it off.

It had become a power thief, and the situation was truly laughable.

"Turn it on. Let's see it this afternoon."

"Ah... Yes. I'll tell him to come."

"Alright."