The slide after that one displayed a stock image of a man shaking hands with a robot under the title Empathy Through Automation. “That’s our future,” Brad declared, voice cracking slightly. “Human connection at scale.” The HR director coughed into her sleeve. The CIO whispered to the CFO, “Is he serious?”
By the time the next slide appeared—a photo of Brad himself sipping coffee under the heading Visionary Leadership—the room was tense with disbelief. The silence was so thick you could hear the air conditioning. Ethan stared at the screen, fighting the urge to grin.