Meanwhile, in Singapore, at the evaluation center AI Foundation had temporarily rented at the National University of Singapore's Artificial Intelligence Research Institute.
Professor Lin Weilun, a researcher, frowned as he stared at the evaluation results on his screen.
He was an ethnic Chinese Singaporean and the National University of Singapore's representative in its partnership for the upcoming Artificial Intelligence Conference in Singapore.
"Why isn't Glutinous Rice Ball 1.0 on the results list?" Lin Weilun asked his colleague beside him.
His colleague was also ethnically Chinese and spoke in Singaporean English. "Uh, looks like the committee removed it."
"Why?" Lin Weilun asked, puzzled.
His colleague shook his head. "It's their evaluation. Maybe they had some reason. I don't know."
Lin Weilun stood up.
"This isn't just their evaluation. The National University of Singapore participated too. They can't ignore our opinion."
With that, he walked out.
Just over half an hour later, Lin Weilun raised the same question at a joint meeting between AI Foundations and its partners.
"Why isn't Glutinous Rice Ball 1.0 on the results list?" Sitting across from Lin Weilun was Richard Coleman, an elderly man with a deeply wrinkled face and a full head of white hair.
Richard was currently AI Foundations' rotating chairman. He was also a professor of computer science at MIT and commanded great respect in the field.
Richard removed his glasses, took a cleaning cloth from his jacket pocket, and wiped the lenses. Then he put the cloth away and slipped his glasses back on.
Only after completing these movements at his own leisurely pace did he answer Lin Weilun's question.
"Professor Lin, this was a collective decision by the committee," Richard said.
"As far as I know, the committee made two collective decisions." Lin Weilun stood and raised the printed records in his