343: Chapter 343 Solving the Problem.

Yang Tongan's hand, holding the teacup, paused in mid-air, his eyes filled with deep confusion and scrutiny.

He looked at Lin Yuan, waiting for him to continue.

In his view, when the efficiency of a tool could infinitely approach one hundred percent, and its cost was far lower than that of humans, being replaced was an irreversible iron law.

From the steam engine replacing textile workers, to the internal combustion engine replacing carriage drivers...

This was a fact that human society had verified time and again with blood and tears since the Industrial Revolution.

Lin Yuan took in Yang Tongan's doubts, set down his teacup, clasped his hands together, and leaned back on the sofa in a relaxed posture.

"Old Yang, you are actually confusing two completely different concepts."

"Preparation and scientific research."

Lin Yuan's voice was steady, every word enunciated with exceptional clarity, carrying a power that made one involuntarily convinced.

"What is preparation?"

"It is following a blueprint that has already been drawn, a perfect one, to perform the most precise copy-and-paste."

"This process requires zero errors, high efficiency, and complete obedience."

"In this regard, Artificial Intelligence combined with automated robotic arms is indeed the current optimal solution, one could even say... the only solution."

"Because humans get tired, make mistakes, and have emotional fluctuations, while they never will."

Hearing this, Yang Tongan nodded slowly and placed his teacup back on the table.

Lin Yuan's judgment did not differ much from his own understanding.

"As for scientific research..."

At this point, Lin Yuan smiled, a smile that carried a hint of profound meaning.

"Scientific research is the process of drawing that blueprint."

"It is groping in the pitch-black darkness for a path that no one has ever walked before."

"This process is full of uncertainty, full of countless trials and errors, failures, starting over, and even requires a flash of intuition and epiphany."

"What it needs is not copying, but... creation."

Lin Yuan raised his eyes, meeting Yang Tongan's gaze.

"Artificial Intelligence can indeed be considered a perfect executor, a 'scribe' with infinite capabilities."

"But the prerequisite for Artificial Intelligence to function is that someone must first give it that 'perfect score answer'."

"And looking across the entire Xia Country, and even the entire Blue Star, apart from me..."

Lin Yuan's tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable sense of statement.

"All scientific researchers do not have this answer in their hands."

"What they need to do is precisely to search for the answer itself."

"This process is something Artificial Intelligence can never replace."

"Because exploring the unknown is the greatest romance and privilege exclusive to intelligent life."

As his voice fell, the office fell into a brief silence.

Yang Tongan did not answer immediately.

His knuckles tapped rhythmically against the sofa armrest, making a dull sound.

He naturally understood Lin Yuan's logic.

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence liberates the productivity of top-level scientists, rather than replacing their creativity.

Having thought this through, his doubts about the top-level scientific research system dissipated.

He had admired those scientists who dedicated their lives to the country all his life, and he did not want to see these pillars of the nation be ruthlessly eliminated due to technological progress.

However, just as Yang Tongan's expression had just softened, Lin Yuan's next words made his movements suddenly stop.

"However..."

"Your concern just now, while it does not exist in the field of top-level scientific research, exists on another level, and it will become a very serious problem."

Hearing this, Yang Tongan did not ask further, just looked at Lin Yuan calmly, signaling him to continue.

"The popularization of Artificial Intelligence is great news for top scientific experts."

Lin Yuan explained, "They can hand over all those boring, repetitive, and tedious basic experiments and data processing work to Artificial Intelligence, thereby devoting their precious energy entirely to the most core theoretical concepts and innovative ideas."

"Their scientific research efficiency will be improved exponentially."

"But..."

Lin Yuan's tone deepened.

"For those young researchers who are just starting out, and for those students still pursuing their doctorates or master's degrees, this may not necessarily be a good thing."

Yang Tongan's eyes narrowed slightly, having already captured the key point in Lin Yuan's words.

"Just as automated assembly lines have eliminated countless basic workers."

"This level of scientific research intelligence will inevitably eliminate all 'assistant' positions in the scientific research system."

"And 'being an assistant' is precisely the necessary path for every new researcher to grow!"

Lin Yuan's voice was not heavy, but every word struck the key node.

"Without having personally performed tens of thousands of basic experiments, without having processed massive amounts of boring data, without having summarized experience from countless failures, how can they grow into top scientific experts capable of handling things on their own?"

"When an old master teaches an apprentice, it always starts with sweeping the floor and moving bricks."

"The inheritance of scientific research also needs to start from the most basic titration, centrifugation, and solution preparation."

"When all these basic tasks are replaced by Artificial Intelligence, the learning path for young people is cut off at the waist."

Lin Yuan leaned back on the sofa, his gaze distant.

"Without the replenishment of fresh blood, the entire scientific research system will become a stagnant pool of water."

"After a generation, when the current batch of experts grows old and withers away..."

Yang Tongan took over the conversation, his voice low and powerful.

"Our technology will have a terrifying gap."

"Gap."

When these two words were spoken by Yang Tongan, the air in the office became much heavier.

If the progress of a civilization requires sacrificing the growth ladder of the next generation, then such progress is no different from drinking poison to quench thirst.

"This is an internal problem that is more worthy of vigilance than any external blockade."

Yang Tongan looked at Lin Yuan, his voice steady, with no ripple of emotion detectable.

"But since you have brought it up, you must already have an answer."

This was not a question, but a statement.

Looking at Yang Tongan's expression, a calm smile appeared on Lin Yuan's face.

He did not answer directly, but asked in return:

"Old Yang, do you still remember what the core reason for building the 'second world' was?"

Yang Tongan's eyes flickered, and he immediately recalled it.

"To solve the large-scale unemployment wave brought about by the popularization of intelligence, and to give ordinary people a buffer and a way out."

"Correct."

Lin Yuan smiled and nodded.

He leaned forward slightly, the arc of his lips slowly widening, and continued to speak.

"Since a virtual world can be used to solve the unemployment problem of manual laborers..."

"Then it can naturally also be used to solve the 'growth' problem of mental laborers."