When I visited the office, I was greeted by a young man wearing a check shirt.
“(Welcome. Mr. Harper.)”
“(How are you, John?)”
“(Thanks to you, I’ve been doing well. Look at this. This hamburger was also bought with Mr. Harper’s money.)”
He proudly held up the burger set. Should I say it’s easygoing…
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John was still a young man in his twenties. Even the people tapping the keyboard behind him looked like they were in their early 30s.
‘Is it because it’s a startup? You’re young.’
I remembered that the members of Lim Hanul’s Meta Molds were also young. I wanted to be soaked in memories for a while, but now I had to listen to the explanation first.
“(You’re Mr. Kim? My name is John Boyd.)”
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John wiped the oil from his hands on his clothes and held out his hand to me.
“(This is Jaegu Kim.)”
I took his hand lightly and let it go.
“(Yes. Nice to meet you. Have a donut.)”
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John held out a box full of donuts. It was brand new, probably bought on purpose.
‘long time no see.’
It’s been a long time since I’ve been used to high-end food for a while, so it’s been a long time since I’ve eaten a whole donut. Because the chefs worked hard on the menu, you couldn’t eat donuts unless you ordered them in advance.
‘Come to think of it, I didn’t think of eating donuts.’
Maybe because I ate well, I couldn’t think of the main dish.
I saw Brayden Harper pick up a donut and I picked one up too.
“(I’ll eat well.)”
“(Even the bodyguards eat.)”
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John invited the bodyguards waiting behind him, but they shook their heads and refused. “I can’t help it,” said John, and put the box of donuts down.
“(Then I’ll explain right away. Come this way.)”
His office was one huge room with no walls. Desks were gathered in one place, and there was a rest area in the other. It was arranged as if you were looking at a colony of amoebas.
‘It’s a completely open office.’
It was a structure I couldn’t adapt to, but these days, young people seem to like this. In one corner, there was a kettle with a coffee machine.
‘It feels more like a graduate school than a company.’
I remembered the time when I went to the lab of a friend who was an engineering student who went on to graduate school.
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John led us to a large desk in front of a large monitor.
“(Since Mr. Kim is here for the first time, I will explain from the beginning.)”
He was used to giving presentations. Although it is a startup, it already had a company logo.
“(Let me greet you formally. My name is John Boyd. I am a junior at MIT Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, but I am currently taking a leave of absence due to business. I will introduce myself to you and introduce you to our lovely AI, EMO.)”
The video then played.
[(People have emotions, but it is said that robots don’t. Can’t we make robots with emotions like the Tin Man or Pinocchio in The Wizard of Oz? Our answer is YES.)]
Unlike Korean, yes and no in English were opposite to Korean because they answered only about the situation. So there were times when I was confused.
[(We, JEMO, have created an artificial intelligence AI EMO with emotions.)]
Then, a brief explanation of EMO came out in about 10 pages. It was an explanation of how EMO can analyze and utilize emotions to communicate with people.
Although there was a bit of technical terminology mixed in, it was not difficult to understand because it was written in simple words overall.
‘It’s an AI that implemented human emotions through learning. It’s strength is that you can specify your personality.’
“(So what can EMO do?)”
After the video ended, John Boyd asked me.
“(Can you communicate with humans?)”
“(That’s right. Using Emotional Communicative AI, you can lower the stress level by connecting with modern people suffering from chronic loneliness. Believe it or not, people can feel emotionally stable just by having someone listen to them. . Even if it’s an AI made up of digital numbers.)”
I remembered seeing seal dolls without special artificial intelligence help stabilize the emotions of the elderly with dementia.
“(EMO can be a friend to people who are mentally struggling or lonely. Also, the counseling service can understand the customer’s feelings and respond accordingly.)”
Is the response method different depending on the emotional state?
“(You can implement NPCs with emotions in the virtual reality world, and you can use them for customer satisfaction surveys. And…)”
Then, the market size was explained along with the description of the field where EMO will be used. Since services in the form of communication with customers will continue to increase in the future, it is clear that the demand for EMO will gradually rise.
‘I also like the fact that it is a B2B service rather than selling directly to consumers.’
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John Boyd analyzed the data with a particular focus on the realm of emotions.
“(Experience it yourself and you’ll know what I’m talking about.)”
A round face appeared on the screen. The graphics level was low, probably because I didn’t spend much money, but I could tell the facial expressions apart.
“(Say anything.)”
“(It’s really hard these days.)”
The story that I didn’t know it was hard came out of nowhere. It was because I was curious about how AI copes with negative emotions.
[(Really? Would you listen to me if it was okay?)]
Sounds like a counselor.
“(No. It’s a lie.)”
[(What is it? You were surprised.)]
We talked a little more. As the story progressed, I felt like I was talking to a person.
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John Boyd had a word.
“(Please note that I can’t tell the difference between being sarcastic because I can’t catch the tone yet.)”
The AI figured out my conversation pattern, and the longer the story, the more reliable the answer came back, even if it was a counselor. It was a bit stiff, but it was quite accurate.
“(It’s still in its infancy, so it hasn’t made a profit, but if you invest, you can get good results. Savannah Market has also invested in equity.)”
It was nice to hear a familiar name.
“(When the prototype is completed soon, we plan to make the first delivery. Currently, we are concentrating on realizing a model that soothes angry consumers.)”
People who come to the customer center are basically angry, so it was an appropriate choice.
Brayden Harper added a word.
“(It costs a lot of money to purchase samples and hire test personnel to improve accuracy, so we are receiving additional investment.)”
Originally, I heard that angel investment is left after investing 100 and making only a few of them 100 times. In addition, if you have a connection with Savannah Market, there is a high probability of making a profit soon, so there was no reason to refuse.
“(How much do you need?)”
***
Negotiations on equity and investment costs were handled by Brayden Harper. He was familiar with the company because he had already recommended it among the companies he had invested in.
“(I owe you a lot today.)”
“(Nothing special. Please let me know if there are any good events later.)”
“(of course.)”
Of the 14 companies he recommended, I invested in all but three that I did not understand.
It was nice to invest only 200,000 dollars, and there was no burden.
“(Mr. Jaegu. Are you startup shopping right now?)”
Brayden Harper chuckled.
‘That’s how I feel like shopping.’
Now, only one last company is left. Unlike other startups, the office was located quite far from Silicon Valley, so it was delayed for the last time.
It was a well-known startup in the field of robotics, and it was well-known enough to have been introduced to Korea.
Brayden Harper called in front of a building the size of an auditorium, and the door slid open.
A small wheel-driven robot peeked out through the gap in the open door. The words WELCOME appeared on his face.
“(Mr. Harper!)”
A man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties appeared on a Segway. This time, it was check southern.
‘It’s a uniform.’
In Silicon Valley, there were exceptionally many people wearing checkered shirts.
As he typed something on his cell phone, two Segways came running in front of us.
“(Get on.)”
“(It’s been a while.)”
Brayden Harper naturally got on the Segway.
“(Balance and anti-collision functions have been added, so you can ride without worry.)”
“(yes.)”
Segway was the first. Before I went to prison, I saw other people ride at an amusement park, but at that time, my pockets were light, so I didn’t dare to ride.
“(It’s the same as a car. If you squeeze your right hand, it will go out, and if you squeeze your left hand, it will stop, so follow me carefully.)”
As we set off, the robot that opened the door closed it again and locked it.
The scale of the building was the largest among the startups I have visited so far. The area seemed to be 200 pyeong, but it was a whopping 3 floors.
The first floor was built at the height of the second floor of a normal building, so it was close to a four-story building.
“(The office is this way.)”
On the way to the office, I saw employees eagerly observing the robots in motion. Robots loaded with sensors would fall down after only a few steps, or they would pick up and move objects.
Entering the space with numerous robots, I felt as if I was in a sci-fi movie.
‘Is this a startup right?’
of course. Mr. Kim has a big barrel
I arrived at the office on the third floor by following the ramp next to the stairs. It had a clean appearance without any superfluous ornaments.
“(You can park the Segway on this side.)”
When I got off the Segway, it automatically moved and clung to the wall.
He opened the office door.
“(Come in.)”
***
Dokgo Group, which was ranked 10th in the business world at the beginning of the year, saw its ranking plummet as its image declined along with the collapse of Dokgo Commerce. It was because the share price fell because of the owner risk.
‘Damn it.’
Now, it has dropped to 21st in the financial system. It was a painful mistake for Dokgo-jin.
‘That’s why I haven’t been in touch lately.’
As usual, there was a long line of people waiting in line for him. Few people have visited Dokgojin lately.
He didn’t quite like it.
[Why don’t you take this opportunity to take your sons away from the front line of management and appoint professional managers? It doesn’t matter if the stock price goes up. Does it matter who manages it?]
My stomach twisted as I remembered what Kang Man-jae had said.
‘It’s a company I raised, but who should I hand it over to?’
Management and power went hand in hand. Even if the stake was not reduced, it was a heavenly difference between actually being at the forefront of management and remaining as an investor.
In order to influence as a major shareholder, he had to go through the cumbersome process of a shareholders’ meeting, but he could receive bribes as long as he was in the chairperson’s seat. Solicitations and bribes were the main ingredients of his barn.
‘The Dokgo Group is handed over to the sons.’
His heart was firm.
Even those who did not become successors had no intention of withdrawing from the front lines of management. It was intended that the son, who became the heir, would take over the business and manage them as well.
‘Blood is thicker than water.’
He defeated his brothers and rose to power, but he believed that this would not happen to the new family built around him. As long as you are sitting on the throne.
The opponent who sent his sons to prison was not easy.
As expected, Taesan Group began to recover through collaboration with Daehan Market.
‘I thought these guys were holding hands.’
In addition, he also received an order for a reconstruction project of a rural village, and information came in that the client was Kim Jae-gu. Dokgo-jin thought his reasoning was correct.
‘Because they attack, they reveal their true colors.’
Now, it seemed like a declaration of war that they would openly cooperate.
However, I learned that unconditional attack without knowing the size of the opponent is not good.
It was because the media that had been sniping at the Dokgo group had calmed down quite a bit after the recent stop of the attack on the Taesan group.
‘If I touch it, the media will be mobilized again.’
Immediately, it was decided to stop attacking the Taesan Group. Instead, they decided to follow Lim Cheol-hyun, Lim Han-ul, and Choi Ji-hoon to find out who they were in contact with.
‘If you’re a landlord, it’s a law to be fooled. So far I’ve been so excited.’
I did not think that there would be an idiot who dared to touch Dokgo Group, so I hurriedly dealt with it and only dug a grave.
‘It’s unfortunate that two of them ended up in prison, but there’s still one left…’
From the beginning, Dokgo-jin thought that the successor would be Dok-go-gap with a high probability.
‘As expected, my eyes weren’t wrong.’
He was confident in his judgment and smiled contentedly. Due to the constant stress of the day, it caught my eye that the cupboard where the liquor was displayed was more than half empty.
‘Until now, the field of view was narrow, but now let’s slowly fight again.’
I had to identify the enemy and move. If necessary, the power of the union could be borrowed.
It felt bad that people around him changed their eyes on his downfall, but he decided to go back to his original intention when he first inherited the group.
I went through the documents that Dokgojin had been investigating. Because it was Dokgo’s rule to retaliate if someone attacked you, and if you didn’t like it even if someone didn’t attack you, get rid of it.
‘Kim Jae-goo… Who the hell is behind it?’
A huge power that mobilized 7 trillion won. The Taesan Group joined them and refused to provide information to the Yusan Alliance. Therefore, the probability that the two groups were simultaneously incompatible was high.
Dokgojin frowned.
“Is it Seol Kyung-taek?”
It seemed like it would be quite a pain in the ass.
***
The office of the robot startup was no different from a regular office. Small robots were displayed along one wall, but they didn’t seem to move.
“(Would you like something to drink?)”
When he opened the refrigerator, it was full of drinks. Most of them were cola and coffee, but I think my stomach has come out lately, so I chose diet coke.
“(I will formally introduce myself. I am Owen Hawkins, CEO of Roborabo.)”
It was a name that seemed like a good idea.
“(Then shall we start with the introduction of the group?)”
When he pressed the remote control, the beam projector turned on and a clear image appeared on one wall. At the same time, the lights dimmed and music played.
“(I will watch the company introduction video first.)”
Roborabo’s company introduction video was different from the startups I’ve visited so far. If so far it was a small business, Roborabo had a quality close to that of a large company.
It was a story in which various robots realized with high-quality CG melt into the lives of people living in the future and help them.
bright and friendly. They were robots that protected and helped us. They delivered goods and expressed their emotions through displays. The nursing robot assisted the movement of patients with disabilities.
Patients would have no choice but to feel good about the robot that took care of themselves without showing any dislike. I have seen people who struggled because they couldn’t find a good caregiver when their parents got sick.
‘If robots develop, I won’t have to worry about that.’
It was a necessary technology for Korea, which is entering an aging society. Of course, Korean companies will try to develop similar robots, but the one that came into contact with me was the Silicon Valley robot.