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Title image｜Visual China

Has generative AI entered your life and work?

If you are in the Internet, advertising, finance and other industries, you may have already felt this change.

For example: colleagues in charge of design no longer need to stay up late to produce several versions of art plans, it is enough to tell the AI ​​their ideas; colleagues in charge of copywriting no longer need to search and read massive amounts of content, they can just talk to the AI ​​and further verify the accuracy.

In addition, the survey data of China Academy of Information and Communications Technology shows that among the IT companies surveyed, more than 70% have applied AI technology in the software development stage, and more than 60% in the software testing stage. Among the various stages of software engineering, the efficiency (human efficiency) of testing and development processes has been most significantly improved after applying AI technology, followed by operation and maintenance.

Why was AI applied in these fields first?

Tencent Research Institute's "2024 Industry Big Model Research Report" summarizes this, which is mainly affected by two core factors:

The adaptability of industry needs, that is, the extent to which the capabilities provided by AI can meet the needs of the industry. The availability of industry data, that is, the ease of obtaining and using industry-related knowledge, determines how much "learning material" AI has.

Current AI application stages in various industries

Therefore, asset-heavy industries (such as construction, manufacturing, and energy) and some industries that rely on long-term experience (such as agriculture, medical care, and consulting) have difficulty in obtaining data, which has become a blind spot for generative AI.

Tian Ye, CEO of Master Lu, mentioned an example. His friend was studying in Shanghai to immigrate to Canada. People who came to him for consultation would ask similar questions every day. If an AI could be trained to specifically answer basic questions, a lot of time could be saved.

But the problem is that there is no relevant information about immigration on the public Internet, so AI has no way to learn and becomes illiterate in this field.

Tian Ye believes that it is not difficult to solve this problem. By throwing enough information into AiNAS and feeding it enough data, an expert AI for immigration and studying abroad can be developed.

What is AiNAS?

Let's break down this concept into AI and NAS. The full name of the latter is Network Attached Storage, which means network storage server. In simple terms, it accesses the data stored in it through the network, which is equivalent to a private cloud storage that belongs only to you.

Generating models with smaller parameters in this space, achieving localized deployment, and using data for targeted training can ultimately help you handle some relatively simple, more personalized, and more private tasks.

Specifically, after obtaining the user's authorization, the "intelligent assistant" built into the LuMaster AiNAS will begin to scan, read, understand, analyze, summarize, and archive the stored data, and finally realize automatic classification, deduplication, and retrieval of the data. Then, in a common dialogue form, it will solve the user's related needs such as one-click query, one-click summary, etc. that can be handled by generative AI.

Even more advanced, users can establish an "exclusive knowledge base" in Master Lu AiNAS to define the learning scope of the smart assistant and get a more targeted and personalized AI assistant experience.These knowledge bases can also generate links to enable sharing.

"The reason why people are willing to use cloud disks is that they are burden-free and do not require hardware, but the demand for cloud disks accounts for about 70% of the entire storage market. The other 30% requires storage space with higher security and greater privacy, which is almost all stored on computers and mobile phones, but definitely not on cloud disks." said Tian Ye, CEO of Master Lu.

Whether ordinary people or geek users, the reason for choosing or being willing to try NAS is the concern about the security of public network data.Therefore, as an AiNAS product that relies on local data, ensuring security is the most important aspect.

Tian Ye said that Master Lu AiNAS does not participate in the storage of any user data. Its role is more like a transit operator like China Mobile. Through the network path it provides, users can remotely view their stored items, which is equivalent to placing virtual assets (files, photos, etc.) on an idle computer in their home.

"If you don't believe me, you can try unplugging the network cable and the local AI will be alive."

There are two biggest differences between these local private storages and public cloud disks. First, they can be used offline, which means that remote viewing can be achieved without the help of the Internet. Second, compared with public cloud platforms, there are no public storage servers, and all storage is realized locally (on personal computers).

A free NAS is a good NAS

Since NAS is so good, why do ordinary people seem to have never heard of it, let alone use it?

The reason is simple: NAS devices are too expensive for consumers.The mainstream local NAS devices on the market, such as Jiji Space, UGREEN, and Synology, are generally priced at over two to three thousand yuan; in addition, their use often involves "extremely complex product parameters and configuration options", and ordinary users do not know how to use them.

Therefore, if you want to cultivate this consumer market, the most direct way is "free equipment + fool-proof one-stop service".

Let’s look at the first point first: the equipment is free.Master Lu found that in the two years after the epidemic, PCs have undergone significant changes. The usage rate has decreased. If people are not playing games or performing operations that require graphics cards, they are increasingly using their mobile phones to work, study, and communicate. Computers are changing from entertainment and office centers to data storage centers.

Can these idle computers be turned into personal NAS to store private information and data?

On the one hand, the computer is kept at home and there is no need to worry about losing it; on the other hand, through "transmission", this information can be remotely controlled from a personal mobile phone just like a company server.

Since NAS is a traditional computer without the monitor and other devices, and only retains the hard disk and networking capabilities, then naturally, it is enough to install a NAS system on the home computer. Why should users spend a high price to purchase NAS hardware?

Let’s look at the second point, the fool-proof one-stop service.Master Lu simplifies all the "extremely complex product parameters and configuration options" involved in the use of traditional NAS. There is no need to purchase a public IP or adjust router settings, which saves a lot of tedious operating steps. You only need to install the client with one click to complete the deployment.

A Linux version will be launched later, which will enable deployment on cloud servers or small hosts, separating the NAS system from the hardware and fully realizing hardware freedom.

There is one last question. Master Lu has done so much, how should he charge to ensure the establishment of his business model?

When Master Lu was pricing the NAS, they planned to sell it by traffic package, with 3G or 10G. However, Tian Ye felt that this was not user-friendly, so he decided to make AiNAS an unlimited traffic product. Users can get unlimited traffic as long as they connect to the Internet once a month. However, since it involves accelerated high-speed bandwidth services, the speed will be limited only when the traffic exceeds the limit. If you have requirements for online video watching and downloading speed, you can purchase a high-speed traffic package.

NAS hardware is the user's own computer, and Master Lu covers the cost of NAS network access, encouraging users to experience NAS with a zero-threshold approach, which shows Master Lu's determination to cultivate the market.

Using NAS as the soil for AI is not just wishful thinking, but is based on real needs. Although NAS is very secure in terms of private storage, it is still far from being accessible to ordinary people. Only by lowering the threshold to allow everyone to come in and enjoy the convenience brought by this product can this market be popularized and more people will benefit.

This content is the author's independent opinion and does not represent the position of Huxiu. Reprinting is prohibited without permission. For authorization matters, please contact [email protected]