As Lin Shu stepped onto the summit stage, the atmosphere in the venue shifted.
For a moment, the crowd was stunned. Applause faltered and faded, replaced by a hushed wave of confusion.
"Did the marching ant company send the wrong person?"
"She looks like a university student. She can't be more than twenty."
"Is this a prank? They're unveiling a major AI initiative, and this... kid is the speaker?"
Whispers buzzed through the audience like static. Dressed in a clean-cut work uniform, Lin Shu's youthful features and nervous expression made her stand out sharply from the usual lineup of seasoned industry veterans and tech giants.
Even viewers watching the livestream were visibly taken aback.
"This is the lead designer for 'Artificial Intelligence+'? She looks like she just walked out of a college orientation."
"Are marching ants recruiting engineers based on looks now?"
Skepticism spread like wildfire. In a field dominated by older men, especially at this level, a young woman standing alone onstage invited both disbelief and scrutiny.
For several seconds, the auditorium was silent—uncomfortably so.
Then, a slow clap broke the tension.
Chen Mo.
He looked up at Lin Shu, a flicker of surprise in his eyes quickly replaced by a proud, quiet smile. He began to applaud with calm assurance, his gaze steady.
Others followed, unsure at first, but joining in nonetheless.
Chen Mo hadn't expected Lin Shu to be the one giving the presentation. She had always been quiet and reserved, often shrinking away from attention due to her background and self-esteem. But she had something else—talent, discipline, and a hunger to prove herself. He'd given her the chance, and she had clearly seized it.
Backstage, Lin Shu's heart was pounding. She'd practiced her lines a hundred times, but standing here—with every camera, every expert, every billion-dollar CEO watching—was like being thrown into the deep end of the ocean.
She glanced quickly at Chen Mo. He met her gaze and gave her the slightest nod.
It was enough.
Lin Shu took a deep breath, steadied herself, and faced the crowd.
"Hello," she began, voice a little shaky, "my name is Lin Shu. I'm a development researcher at the Marching Ant Company."
Another stir rippled through the audience.
So she's the real deal.
A twenty-year-old female researcher—on the world stage—unveiling one of the most anticipated AI projects in recent years.
Lin Shu continued, her nerves slowly melting away as she focused on her presentation. She'd prepared for this. This was her domain.
"The development of artificial intelligence is an inevitable trend in the age of advancing technology. Over the past two years, the 'intelligent era' has begun to emerge. In response, our company has launched the 'Artificial Intelligence+' Project."
She began to outline the vision:
"Smart assistants, intelligent robotics, autonomous driving, healthcare diagnostics—these are all branches of the AI+ framework. The future of artificial intelligence lies in these integrations. Our focus is on applying AI across domains: transportation, education, retail, financial services, smart buildings, and more."
The screen behind her lit up with the logo of the project, followed by a clean robotic face.
"This," she said, gesturing to the display, "is 'Little Ant'—the intelligent core we've developed for the AI+ framework."
The robotic face blinked once, then spoke in a neutral, polite voice:
"Hello there, human."
A few chuckles and murmurs swept through the crowd. It was simple, even cute—but behind it was something far more serious.
"'Little Ant' is the brain," Lin Shu explained. "The '+' represents its limbs and functions. When paired with different programming structures, it forms a tailored intelligent system."
She dove into real-world applications:
"Take Artificial Intelligence + Housing, for example. The intelligent core, combined with a smart building control system, allows seamless, automated experiences:
Face recognition opens doors.
Elevators automatically take you to your floor.
Climate, lighting, and security systems adjust to your habits.
These functions are already technically possible today. What makes 'Little Ant' unique is that it is not hardcoded for a single role. It learns. Through machine learning, it adapts to fulfill diverse tasks across different domains."
The hall was silent again—but this time with focused attention, not doubt.
Lin Shu pressed on, her voice growing steadier with each word.
"Whether in transportation, education, retail, or services, this universal intelligence core can be trained for almost any purpose. It's designed to integrate, adapt, and evolve.
Our goal is to open a collaborative development platform for 'Little Ant,' enabling developers to build their own AI+ systems with our core at the center.
We want to bring intelligent systems into everyday life—earlier, smarter, and better."
And with that, she finished.
The auditorium erupted into applause. Genuine, thunderous applause.
Executives exchanged glances. Analysts tapped frantically on tablets. Tech media scrambled to update their headlines.
"Marching Ant Company unveils AI+ strategy"
"Universal intelligence core 'Little Ant' redefines modular AI"
"Is this the dawn of true ubiquitous artificial intelligence?"
In a single presentation, a quiet girl had shifted the tone of the conference—and potentially, the future of consumer AI.
Chen Mo sat in his chair, smiling faintly.
She'd done it.
She hadn't just introduced a technology. She'd stood in front of the world, shaken off her doubt, and shown everyone—including herself—what she was capable of.
The Artificial Intelligence+ era had just found its voice.
And that voice began with:
"Hello there, human."