The hot pot restaurant was bustling that night. Lena gushed about the company's "perk." "From now on, we just need to input target users and core selling points—WorkBuddy generates the entire plan. The boss says this way we can focus on 'creativity.'"
"Focus on creativity? More like becoming AI's data entry clerks," Jon dropped a slice of tripe into the pot. "Have you ever thought—once AI masters all creative logic, what use will you 'creativity providers' be?"
Lena frowned. "Why do you always say such depressing things? AI's just a tool—can it really replace humans?" Marcus quickly mediated. "Jon's got a professional habit—he can't stand flawed things. C'mon, drink up!"
Jon didn't argue. He pulled out his phone and posted the WorkBuddy issue cases he'd compiled that day to "Coder's Home," China's largest technical forum. The title read: "Warning! WorkBuddy: Capital's AI Eavesdropper." The post detailed the data upload mechanism and security risks, with screenshots of Xiao Li's case attached.
"This post's gonna blow up," Marcus peeked over. "Last time someone complained about WorkBuddy, it went viral." Lena shrugged. "You're just bored. I'll share this in our operations group later—let everyone be careful."
Halfway through the meal, Jon refreshed the forum. The post already had hundreds of replies. Some said, "I've felt weird about it too—every time I use WorkBuddy, it feels like I'm being watched." Others commented, "OP's overthinking. Free tools collecting data is normal."
"See? People agree with you," Marcus pointed to a top-voted reply. "This guy 'Old K'—he's a hacker, I think. He said he can help you hack WorkBuddy's backend data."
Jon was about to reply to Old K when his phone suddenly notified him: "Post deleted." A system message followed: "Your content is suspected of spreading rumors and defamation. Account muted for 7 days." He froze. Lena exclaimed, "The post I shared in the operations group got deleted instantly too! Someone accused me of spreading false information."
"Genesis Tech must be behind this," Marcus slammed the table. "Their PR team is brutal. Last time a tech YouTuber gave WorkBuddy a bad review, all their videos were taken down across platforms the next day."
Jon said nothing. He tried searching for Old K's account and found a private message: "Saw your post. Genesis Tech's PR moves fast. If you wanna talk, join this group—password 'Code Security.'" A link to an encrypted messaging app group was attached.
After joining, Jon saw there were fewer than 50 members, all listed as technical professionals from various industries. Old K sent a message: "I've been monitoring Genesis Tech for a long time. Their 'Experience Extraction System' upgrades by stealing user data. How much evidence do you have?"
Jon was about to reply when Marcus let out a gasp. "Guys, look at the news—Genesis Tech announced WorkBuddy has over 100 million users! Alan Gray says he's building 'the world's largest AI assistance platform.'"
On the phone screen, Alan Gray's smile was still bright—but to Jon, it looked like it hid fangs. He stared at Old K's question, typed "I have backend logs of AI's faulty optimizations," and suddenly noticed his phone signal disappear. A strange warning popped up: "Cease investigation, or face the consequences."