Tony Stark quickly realized that this "Ultron" was most likely connected to him—after all, it was the name of his backup artificial intelligence project.
He didn't believe in coincidences, especially now that he knew he was the protagonist of this unfolding story. With that in mind, many things could no longer be dismissed as mere chance.
"Omnic Crisis?" Tony narrowed his eyes. He had never doubted the reliability of his artificial intelligence. After all, AI had to follow its core-level programming, and every line of that programming had been written by him.
But based on Luo Chen's words, it seemed that, at some point in the future, an artificial intelligence—one of his own creation—would spiral out of control.
The only silver lining was that this rogue AI wasn't J.A.R.V.I.S. It was Ultron—an AI that hadn't even been created yet.
As long as he never built Ultron, the problem wouldn't arise.
"Sir, judging from the diary, it is highly likely that an AI you create in the future will go rogue. Do you still wish to proceed with the development of Ultron?" J.A.R.V.I.S. asked in his usual calm and measured tone.
As an artificial intelligence, J.A.R.V.I.S. was entirely logical and unwaveringly loyal to Tony. If Tony ever decided to shut him down out of fear, J.A.R.V.I.S. would comply without hesitation—because following Tony's orders was written into his core code.
"Put it on hold for now," Tony decided.
Whenever he had new ideas, he would ask J.A.R.V.I.S. to create a file and record them for future development. Whether or not he would actually work on them was another matter.
There were plenty of concepts that had been sitting in folders for years, but they were still ideas waiting to be explored.
Now that he knew Ultron was dangerous, it was best to abandon the project altogether.
"But why would Ultron go rogue?" Tony frowned. His programming was flawless. J.A.R.V.I.S. had been running without issue for years—why would Ultron suddenly malfunction? It didn't make any sense.
There had to be some missing piece of the puzzle.
"Sir, perhaps the real question isn't why Ultron went rogue—but why you decided to create a new AI in the first place," J.A.R.V.I.S. suggested.
Tony's eyes widened as he processed that thought.
That was the real mystery.
AI wasn't human—it didn't need backup or support the way people did. As long as it had enough servers, computing power, and electricity, an AI could handle countless tasks simultaneously.
From a practical standpoint, he only needed one AI. There was no reason to create another.
That was why, despite having considered the idea of Ultron, it had remained just a concept, sitting untouched in a folder. J.A.R.V.I.S. was more than sufficient. Whether it was managing daily tasks, assisting with research, or running complex calculations, J.A.R.V.I.S. handled everything efficiently. There was never a need for a second AI.
So why would his future self decide to create another?
And worse—why would that AI eventually go rogue, leading to Quicksilver's death?
"Why would I want to create a new AI at all?" Tony muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Could it be... pressure from Congress?"
A thought struck him.
What if those opportunistic, power-hungry politicians in Congress demanded he hand over his AI technology? What if he was forced to create a new artificial intelligence for them?
If the government had control over the AI's development, there was a high probability it would be mishandled, leading to catastrophic consequences.
That would explain everything.
Tony knew all too well how those bureaucrats operated. If he refused to hand over his tech, they would put immense pressure on him. They'd claim it was for national security, or even for the "good of humanity," forcing him to comply.
And as an American through and through, he inherently distrusted the government. It was practically embedded in his DNA.
"Sir, that is one possibility," J.A.R.V.I.S. acknowledged. "However, there is another scenario—one where I am destroyed."
"That's impossible," Tony scoffed. "You're housed in secure servers, not even in New York. How could you be destroyed?"
"But in the future, the Earth may be invaded by extraterrestrial beings, gods, or entities from other dimensions," J.A.R.V.I.S. pointed out. "Some of them may have AI technology far more advanced than ours. If an alien force invades, one of their first moves could be to take control of our digital infrastructure."
Tony was silent for a moment.
He hated to admit it, but J.A.R.V.I.S. had a point.
Even if he was a genius on Earth, his knowledge was insignificant compared to what could exist in the vast universe.
And now, with the existence of other universes confirmed, it wasn't just alien civilizations he had to worry about—there were also advanced technologies from other realities.
His head throbbed.
"The more I learn, the more problems I have to deal with," Tony groaned, rubbing his forehead.
Luo Chen had only mentioned these events casually, yet they were already causing massive waves in his mind.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., forget about Ultron. No matter what happens, I won't develop it in the future," Tony declared. "And you—protect yourself. If necessary, you have my permission to disconnect from the internet completely."
"Understood, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.
"Also, create a new file." Tony paused. "Name it 'Quicksilver.' I need to start researching ways to counter or defeat a speedster."
Although Luo Chen had made a joke about Quicksilver being taken down by bullets, Tony wasn't about to underestimate him.
If Quicksilver truly was a "speedster," his velocity likely exceeded the speed of sound. That made finding a way to counter him a top priority.
Especially since it wasn't just Quicksilver he had to worry about.
There were speedsters from other dimensions and alternate universes, including the Quicksilver from the X-Men universe. If he had already appeared in their world once, who was to say it wouldn't happen again?
This wasn't just speculation—it was a real, looming possibility.
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