Chapter 99: Give Me What You Have (2)

“What? You want to…see Watson?”

“Yes, Watson. We also have our own AI that we developed in-house for learning purposes. If I’m going to give you advice…I’d need to see what kind of artificial intelligence it is first.”

“Oh…” Steve hesitated.

This was understandable, as the Doctor Watson project had cost an unimaginable amount of money, far beyond the reach of any mere resident doctor.

What should I do…?

The financial aspect alone would’ve been easy enough to deal with, but numerous people were involved in the Watson project—brilliant professors whose names were well-known throughout the medical community.

But something seems off.

Despite all this, Watson’s project was considered a failure—or rather, it actually had failed. While it excelled at analyzing given information, that data was limited to text only. At present, there were no devices capable of replicating human senses such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch for artificial intelligence. In hindsight, its shortcomings could have been anticipated.

So…how exactly did they educate their AI then?

It seemed highly unlikely that Taehwa Medical Center or whoever developed their AI could surpass Watson. Thus, there must be some secret behind their training method.

[Seems like you’re deep in thought.]

I am indeed pondering. But showing Watson…is it really that big of a deal?

[Were you planning to just say ‘It’s Watson’? If so, it would have been a big problem. Lee Hyunjong’s head… No, his life might not be long…]

‘This guy keeps nagging whenever he gets a chance. Do I look like someone who knows about machines? You don’t understand anything, idiot.’

[I didn’t think ignorance could be displayed with such confidence, but…I understand. It is unusual for someone studying medicine to also know about machinery.]

In the past, Baru might have continued grumbling indefinitely. However, now Baruda had analyzed almost all of Suhyuk’s deepest memories. This meant that Baru understood Suhyuk better than anyone else in this world. Feeling understood by a machine was quite peculiar - something only those who experienced it could comprehend.

‘It feels strange. Anyway, what is so good about seeing it? Why are you thinking so much?’

[Baruda: It’s understandable to ponder this issue. If Suhyuk was proficient in artificial intelligence… For example, if you were one of the creators from Taehwa Electronics who made me, Baruda, then just by viewing the program, you might gain some hints.]

‘If you are truly great, wouldn’t you not need Watson or anything else?’

[Umm.] Baruda appeared extremely uncomfortable with Suhyuk’s words and sighed.

[Why do you think the developers who created me chanted ‘Down with Yankees’?]

‘Well?’

[It’s because those Yankees… In other words, the Americans developed Watson, which was remarkably outstanding.]

‘Oh… You seem quite confident in your abilities.’

[Naturally. There is nothing more dangerous than unfounded confidence. I, Baruda, have no weaknesses.]

‘I have a knack for making people regret their decisions.’

As Suhyuk let out another sigh, albeit with a slightly different meaning than Baruda’s earlier one, Steve spoke up again. It coincided with the waiter placing down two hamburgers he had ordered.

“Ummm… I need to make a call. Please start eating without me.”

“Don’t you want them while they’re hot?”

“Oh… No, it doesn’t matter here… Wait, no, that’s not what I meant. There is someone else I need to inform about this matter. This decision cannot be made lightly by myself.”

“Ah…I understand. Am I causing any inconvenience?”

“Not at all. If you share your insights… I am truly grateful.” Steve expressed his sincere appreciation.

[I guess it was impressive as you skipped two consecutive days of outpatient clinics.]

‘Skipped…what do you mean by skipping…where did you see this?’

[‘Show Me The Money’.]

‘Even I haven’t watched that show. Where did you find it?’

Suhyuk genuinely looked frightened. He wondered if Baruda had control over his body when he slept.

On the other hand, Baruda seemed indifferent.

[When studying, I diverted some attention to the TV.]

‘Wait, what?’

[Let’s eat first. Eat up. Wow, this is exactly my taste.]

‘I am…I’m eating because I like it.’

[It doesn’t matter either way.]

‘No…that’s not true.’

Suhyuk gave up arguing and started eating the hamburger.

‘Oh?’

[This… This is crazy.]

‘It might really be the best in Central.’

[Indeed. Is there any burger more delicious than this?]

The moment I took one bite, the taste made the humble interior of the store seem refined. The juicy meat seemed to assert ‘this is real juice and everything you’ve eaten before was fake’. The crunchy onions, tomatoes, lettuce combined perfectly with the melted cheese, enhancing the flavor of the juices.

‘What type of bread is this?’

[Crazy.]

Even the simple bun provided a rich harmony of flavors.

“Yes, Watson… He wants to see it.”

As Lee Suhyuk and Baruda were immersed in ecstasy, Steve was hunched over with his phone pressed to his ear.

“Watson…? Why is that?”

“I heard Taehwa Medical Center is now using artificial intelligence for training.”

“Huh? That kind of… I’ve never heard about it… Ah, is it confidential?”

“It seems so. They were quite cautious.”

“It must be confidential. The training method… Well… It makes sense if we consider Lee Suhyuk’s friend.”

Taejin Jo, wasn’t it?

He had a friendly face but casually downplayed any significance behind him.

Hank shook his head and briefly glanced to the side. Having been at the research institute for quite some time, Allison, currently the Manager of Internal Medicine, was working in the adjacent room.

“Wait for a moment.”

“Yes.”

Hank immediately rushed to Allison’s office. It seemed Allison wasn’t deeply engrossed in research at that moment as he welcomed Hank with enthusiasm after opening the door.

“So, gathering this weekend? I heard about it. We should have a barbecue.”

“Ah yes. That’s right. This weekend is coming up.”

“Huh? Is that why you came?”

“N-no, it’s about Lee Suhyuk.”

“Lee Suhyuk?”

Suddenly mentioning Lee Suhyuk… What could this be about?

It was understandable, though. The name “Lee Suhyuk” would indeed sound unfamiliar to most Americans. However, Allison was an exceptional talent, serving as the head of Internal Medicine at Iowa State University Hospital.

“Oh…the trainee. Why do you ask?”

“Isn’t he some kind of prodigy?”

“A prodigy? Really that good?”

“When I saw him yesterday at my outpatient clinic… Wasn’t it just incredible?”

“I heard about it. He took someone from multiple disciplines, right? Is this the first time? Bringing a trainee to interdisciplinary meetings early in the month…”

Suhyuk had previously worked at a hospital with established interdisciplinary programs.

“Yes, it’s unprecedented. He is truly exceptional… But today, during Professor Epes’ outpatient clinic, what did they say? Yes, immunodeficiency due to dama? That was his diagnosis.”

“Immunodeficiency? What does that mean?”

“No idea. It shows how amazing Suhyuk is, though.”

While Allison initially found Hank’s comment strange, upon further reflection, it made sense.

‘Since neither Hank nor I know about it…it must be a very rare condition.’

One reason could be that both Hank and Allison had long specialized in their respective fields, causing their overall internal medicine knowledge to diminish. However, despite this, they should still have been far superior compared to mere residents. Even without actively studying or treating patients outside their specialties, they continuously picked up information from various sources.

“Allison is truly remarkable. But?”

“So I asked Steve through him how she was being educated.”

“Steve… Are you really planning to groom him as part of your staff? Is it because he’s cheap and loyal?”

“Yes, he’s intelligent. Isn’t his performance satisfactory so far? He also works diligently on research.”

“Well… indeed.”

At least currently, within Steve’s year group, there wasn’t anyone who matched his level.

The Internal Medicine department wasn’t just three or four people; it meant he was the best among at least ten residents.

“But…Lee Suhyuk is not just that level. Of course, he might be exceptionally outstanding…” In any case, I need to figure out his teaching method.”

“Hmm. It’s a good idea. Is this why you came to see me?”

“Nope. When I asked, they told me Taehwa Medical Center uses artificial intelligence for education?”

“Artificial Intelligence? This is the first time I’ve heard such a thing.”

“There’s Lee Hyunjong or someone like that… Do you think he would honestly tell us everything?”

As implied by his nickname ‘World Star’, Lee Hyunjong had worldwide fame.

He had revolutionized the concept of cardiovascular intervention, so it was natural. Even now, all medical students studying internal medicine were learning from textbooks based on his research papers.

“Hmm… No, that’s not possible.”

“But Lee Suhyuk seems quite innocent.”

“Well… He is in his twenties.”

“So I think he will inform us. If we show him our artificial intelligence, he might provide advice based on it.”

“Our artificial intelligence? Dr. Watson?”

“Yes.”

“You’re crazy…” Allison paused and lowered her head.

Dr. Watson was truly confidential information. The achievements related to Watson had been reported by the media, but the development process and how it operated were top secret.

‘Then what…?’

Already Harvard had classified Watson as a failure. Even if it couldn’t provide independent diagnoses, at least it should have reduced the time spent on treatment. However, this damned Watson consumed more time under the guise of ‘training,’ making it inevitable for issues to arise.

‘Sometimes, it reaches incomprehensible conclusions.’

What drove researchers crazier was when Watson’s conclusion was correct, but its reasoning made no sense. If the conclusion was wrong, they could simply modify their approach. However, fixing the process while maintaining the correct answer posed an even greater challenge.

‘But now…they’re using it for educational purposes?’

It was unclear exactly how it would be utilized, but anything seemed better than letting billions go to waste. This decision might also appease the investors who had poured substantial funds into the project, regardless of whether it stemmed from goodwill or profit motives.

Regardless, it would be better than letting Watson sit as billions of won worth of junk like this. It was also something he owed to his investors who had generously invested their money, whether for goodwill or profit.

“Yes, let’s see what happens.”

“But that’s not… Huh? Show me?”

“Yes, show me. Anyway, Watson…isn’t currently inactive?”

“It’s on standby mode.”

Due to its high price tag, Suhyuk couldn’t bring himself to turn off Watson out of fear it wouldn’t come back on. Consequently, the AI was essentially stealing electricity, which wasn’t funny at all.

“Turn it on. We might as well test it now.”

“Oh…right. Then I’ll activate it.”

“Okay.”