The End of Technology

If he hadn't known those rumors before, Pete would probably still be wondering why the company suddenly made such a fuss.

But at this time, Peter probably understood what was going on. This assessment was probably to compare people with software.

The so-called future of a company probably depends on whether it chooses to rely on software to take care of most of the work, or let programmers pay for the value of their labor as it does now.

There is no doubt that software that can be programmed independently, if it is as powerful as Robin said, will definitely be more cost-effective than hiring so many programmers, so what they can do now is work hard to defeat artificial intelligence on this track.

In fact, this competition is very unfair.

Because Pete has no news about this smart software at all, he believes that ordinary programmers like him also don’t have this news. They don’t know what conditions need to be given to software programming, what kind of language it can read, and its database. What is the composition...

So all we can do now is try our best to do this well.

While everyone else was relaxing, Peter had already turned on the computer and debugged all the tools he might need.

This made him feel like he was going through the college entrance examination again.

He was also the best in the school back then, but when he sat in the examination room, he could still feel a little bit nervous.

Ten minutes flew by.

When everyone was ready, the specific requirements for this assessment were also given on the big screen in the conference room.

Everyone needs to work together and develop an embedded applet immediately so that Google Chrome can browse multiple file formats more conveniently.

The questions are not very difficult, and certainly not very easy either.

It seemed that everyone was aware of the seriousness of the problem and quickly got into trouble.

The task that Peter received was to work with a colleague to complete the interface document and a data simulation document.

This is actually a very important task, and this assessment did not mention the complexity of the actual scene data, so it is actually not difficult at all.

Everyone seemed to realize the seriousness of today's occasion. No one was trying to fish, and everyone quickly fell into the rhythm of work.

Seeing this scene, Peter was inexplicably full of confidence in his colleagues and himself. After all, they were all the best among the crowd, otherwise they would not have been able to defeat hundreds of people and be recruited by companies like Google. If even they can't figure out this AI programming tool, then the world will probably be conquered by artificial intelligence, right?

Well, that's probably impossible.

Artificial intelligence cannot be this powerful.

Really, when Peter got into working mode, he only felt that his thoughts were particularly active today. He didn’t even need to go out and check the codes of his predecessors on various forums as frequently as usual. His brain’s thoughts were so active that he even forgot the time. , at most I would just exchange a few words with the people in the same group, and then everyone would immediately get back to work, until a harsh cell phone ringtone rang.

Peter raised his head with some dissatisfaction. The department head had just requested that this assessment was very important and that everyone should turn their mobile phones to silent mode.

He couldn't understand why someone could ignore this request now that it was already here.

But when he raised his head, he was stunned.

Because the mobile phone belongs to the supervisor himself.

He watched the supervisor pick up the phone and glance at it, and then his expression became solemn. Then the ringtone of the phone was pressed, and he walked out of the busy conference room.

This suddenly gave Peter a bad premonition, but he still shook his head and turned his attention to his computer. His work was almost completed, and the next step was to hand it over to the same person for debugging. If not If there is a problem, he can help colleagues in other groups share other tasks.

However, just when he was still short of the last few lines of code, the conference room door was pushed open hard, and the supervisor who had just left walked in again, clapped his hands, and said with a frustrated look: "Okay, everyone, you can stop. Let’s get started, the assessment is over.”

"Why? We're almost done."

"Yes, it will be completed soon. How come the assessment is over?"

"That's not fair! You should at least wait until we complete the task first."

…

Many people began to make noises. It was obvious that Peter was not the only one who knew some information in advance and understood the importance of today's assessment. It seems that everyone understands what the early ending of the assessment means to them.

"Okay, everyone, there is no point anymore. I know that many of you know some news in advance. I can only say that the news you got is probably true. In the future world, we will not only have to compete with others, but also have to compete with others. Let software compete. Yes, the Chinese have developed a software that can be programmed independently. You were indeed comparing efficiency with it just now.

But unfortunately, you are not the only group. In fact, Google has dispatched a total of 20 same assessment groups around the world, with a total of 537 people. Just when you were just starting to start, the assessment was started at the same time. Moreover, the twenty assessment groups are randomly assigned tasks, which means that the tasks you get are not the same.

The current result is that the AI ​​software has completed all twenty tasks and has completed simple testing work, but none of the twenty assessment groups can complete even one task. I know you may not believe it, but this is the news I just received.

The testing of AI self-produced software is a test done by the X laboratory in an environment established in advance. Moreover, the engineers participating in the test were blindly tested. They only received the programs they needed to test an hour after the assessment began, and they did not know whether the software sent to them was automatically generated by AI.

As a result, the tasks of the twenty assessment groups all submitted results generated by AI, and the final test group gave them all excellent results. I think you should understand what straight A's are. What is the concept of completing twenty tasks in one hour?

So folks, there’s no point. Even if I give you five more hours to complete the task and then send it for debugging, it doesn't make any sense. If you want to listen to my advice, it is to improve yourself quickly. Whether it is AI debugging or general programming work, it will be replaced by software in the future.

As far as I know, if you still want to have a job in this industry, you need to be proficient in lower-level computer logic, such as writing low-level drivers for hardware. This piece of AI seems to be unable to do so. Of course, this may not be the same as the skills you currently have, but that’s how the world is. No matter what the company decides next, please understand. Now everyone can return to work. "

After speaking, the supervisor turned and left, leaving a group of people looking at each other in confusion.

What the supervisor just said is really disappointing.

Especially for Pete, he has worked hard enough. It can even be said that today is the most energetic and efficient day since he joined Google. He feels that everyone is at their best, but in such a short period of time, AI directly defeated twenty assessment groups, and the blind test results were all excellent.

Obviously, this is no longer a problem that can be solved by individual efforts. This is a dimensionality reduction blow from technological progress. Any struggle is in vain.

Pete knew that his time at Google could be measured in hours. If he were the company's decision-maker, he wouldn't be able to continue to support so many programmers to do tasks that can be replaced by software. Compared with the huge number of programmers, using software is probably zero cost.

As the supervisor just said, in the future only high-end programmers will be valued and retained by the company, and maybe their salaries will skyrocket. Artificial intelligence programs are not just as simple as programming, they have also become the most discerning identifier of human values.

Any position that it cannot replace is the real value. I believe that all companies will not mind spending a lot of money to hire such a big boss to work. And those positions that can be replaced no longer need people to do these things.

So that person from China took action from afar and directly destroyed an industry.

Pete was a little distracted for a moment, so he really couldn't live the rest of his life in peace?

…

Peter was not the only one who felt extremely panicked at this time.

Google is not the only company in Silicon Valley doing the same thing at this time.

When Cisco obtained the software franchise, the first thing it naturally did was to promote it to large companies in Silicon Valley.

Although this software also has a paid personal version, we must first find large customers who can cooperate with it for a long time and can provide Cisco with stable cash flow.

These high-tech companies in Silicon Valley are obviously Cisco's first big customers.

Whether it’s Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, or other software companies, they all have one thing in common: they have more programmers and more money.

This software can help these companies save a lot of labor costs. As long as each company gives one-tenth of the saved labor costs to Cisco, Cisco can make a lot of money. Coupled with the promotion of the personal version, It's enough to make Cisco reborn.

You can imagine the intensity of Cisco's promotion at this time.

After all, not only did they have to pay the agreed compensation to Ning Zi within ten years, but they also had to pay for the expensive turbulence algorithm activation code. At the same time, the licensing of this smart software is not cheap.

What Cisco has got now is still the most basic version. According to the contract, the Institute of Physical Science and Technology of the University of Physical Science and Technology will also depend on their agency performance to decide whether subsequent software upgrades will continue to be handed over to them for operation. According to the information they gathered, the software laboratory hosted by Ning Zi is still further testing and adding functions to the software.

In addition to programming, this software will also add functions such as AI animation production, AI video, etc.

Ningji's software laboratory even plans to build a more advanced dedicated large-scale digital engine for this software. The future plan is to allow AI to automatically generate and produce CG animations that are comparable to those produced by the most well-known teams on the market.

This is another huge amount of revenue for Cisco.

Given the current efficiency of artificial intelligence production software, it is conceivable that in the future, it will be a good hand when producing various special effects animations. It is impossible to say that Cisco will have a place in Hollywood in the future.

Likewise, the personal version of this software is equally powerful.

Although individual users, unlike corporate users, can use supercomputers or advanced servers to maximize the effects of software, it is difficult to design large-scale software. However, after market research, Cisco management believes that the software also has a market.

Especially for those users who are curious or yearn for computers and programming, they can easily use software and home computers to design some personalized customized applets, such as TXT readers, or desktop management software, or even create their own Develop a small game...

Moreover, the personal version can be developed to be more interesting, such as presenting it in the form of a game.

Cisco has actually begun to prepare to build the world's largest AI intelligent software exchange community, which is specially prepared for individual users. At this time, Cisco's newly established software sales department is gearing up and preparing for a big fight.

Of course, this is understandable. Before Cisco sent a delegation to China, Cisco was still on the verge of bankruptcy. The life and death of the company was no longer in their hands, but in the thoughts of the Chinese people.

But it's different now.

The Cisco negotiating team won the compensation contract that was most beneficial to them. In addition, they also obtained the agency rights for the world's most advanced artificial intelligence technology. It is no exaggeration to say that Nicholas Harrold, the new CEO of Cisco who was appointed at the critical moment and was also the leader of the negotiation team that went to China this time, has become a hero in the hearts of Cisco shareholders, which has allowed him to secure his current position. .

Of course, as Ning Zi concluded, happiness in this world is conserved.

Just like the happiness of Cisco shareholders, it is based on the sadness of countless people.

…

Peter received the dismissal email from the company at two o'clock in the afternoon.

There was nothing to say, the dismissal was very simple, and there was no need to even hand over the work.

Pete felt that Google had gone above and beyond and even let him have a free delicious lunch provided by the company on his last day, even though he had no appetite today.

Of course, this also means that he has three hours to pack up his personal belongings and return the company's property.

To say that it was sudden was not sudden at all. With the foreshadowing of the previous assessment, it even gave him a very natural feeling.

There was also a compensation announcement in the dismissal email, which gave him two options. If he signed a waiver of power, he would be able to receive dismissal compensation equivalent to sixteen weeks of salary. If he refused to sign this agreement, he would be I can only get eight weeks of severance compensation.

After thinking for a moment, Peter finally decided to sign the agreement.

What you get is real.

Google knows California's laws better than they do. If it really wants to compete with the company, it knows that it will most likely not gain any advantage.

In fact, if the veil of tenderness is torn off, when capital really wants to attack ordinary people, most of the time they will not be able to fight back. Especially at this time, Google is probably the least afraid of its employees choosing to go on strike.

The money saved by firing these bad guys will allow Google to provide higher salaries, bonuses, and more insane benefits to those who are willing to retain and are truly valuable. Not to mention that he had learned from his supervisor that Google had hired Bain \u0026 Company to handle the layoffs.

The gap between people has widened in this way.

The reason why Peter made this choice was actually not entirely due to his pessimism at this time. The wailing in the circle of friends was also one of the important reasons. The Chinese working hard in the Bay Area have their own circles. After all, they are engaged in similar jobs abroad. They can communicate with each other about any news. Occasionally, when they encounter difficulties, they may even meet enthusiastic people to help them.

Pete has never seen such pessimistic news from his circle of friends.

He has seen many Google colleagues wailing in WeChat Moments, especially some programmers who were just hired this year. Some of them still have H1b work visas, which means that if they can’t be found within 60 days after being laid off, To extend your work visa, you have to buy a flight ticket back to your country.

But this is not the worst. There are people who have just transferred their American citizenship, spent a lot of money to buy a million-dollar mansion in the Bay Area, and are still burdened with heavy loans. Being unemployed at this time also means losing the property they just bought. mansion.

There are also couples who have both been fired. You can imagine the confusion at this time.

Of course, it’s not just Google…

Other companies may not be as resolute as Google, but many people have also received wind of the news, and they are likely to be laid off on a large scale within a month or less.

Obviously, the wave of layoffs in Silicon Valley has already begun. Probably only the top technology leaders can keep their jobs in this wave of layoffs.

In other words, dozens or even millions of Silicon Valley’s originally envied elite positions may be replaced by artificial intelligence software for a long time to come.

This also plunged Peter into an unrelieved panic...

In the Bay Area of ​​California, where land is at a premium, and swept by such a huge wave of unemployment, he simply could not imagine how bad the employment situation would be in the future. There is no need to consider the recruitment market. No matter how hot the recruitment market was before, the coldest winter will come next.

What made Peter feel the most despair was that just now, he saw a friend in his circle of friends who had worked in Google's artificial intelligence research and development department for many years also sent a message that his entire department had been laid off. He believed that artificial intelligence would be Google's most important development direction in the future, but his fate turned out to be no different from his.

So this artificial intelligence software can also adjust parameters for artificial intelligence?

Finally, he finally saw someone in the circle of friends who said what he had been holding in his heart.

"That software was developed by Ning Zi! I can't believe someone could develop this kind of software. Is he a devil? Don't those damn company executives know that if they rely on machines instead of people, there will be no future?" Damn Ningji, damn the short-sighted capitalists, they will soon find that Silicon Valley is about to become hell."

Is Silicon Valley going to hell?

Pete didn't know, he just thought it might be time to change his name back to Liu Xinfeng.