The CEO’s resume was incredibly impressive. Medical Doctor. PhD. Multiple publications in respected scholarly journals.  And he had quickly leveraged his intelligence and experience into a high-ranking position in the BioTech company.

“Saruman has a mind of metal and wheels” lamented Treebeard, “and he does not care for growing things, except as far as they serve him for the moment.”

The CEO had recognized the futility of various “processes” within the company.  He sought to maximize the efficiency of the machine.  Production, production, production!  And he called his master plan “The One Ring Initiative.”

“What we call Man’s power over Nature turns out to be a power exercised by some men over other men with Nature as its instrument.”

A new employee, awestruck at the CEO’s diverse experiences and hoping to learn more about his PhD work, attempted to arrange a meeting with the CEO.  Instead, he was allotted a 15-minute time slot with a ChatBot. 

This new employee was persistent, and he had the temerity to find the CEO’s in-person address at the corporate office in Isengard.  And after asking the CEO about his research and work, it became apparent that he might as well have been talking to a ChatBot.  The CEO’s replies, were terse, cold, robotic, and completely devoid of humanity.  Only the mention of AI transiently made the CEO’s Eye flicker with a devilish excitement.

“To the dismay of those that stood by, about the body of Saruman a grey mist gathered, and rising slowly to a great height like smoke from a fire, as a pale shrouded figure it loomed over the Hill. For a moment it wavered, looking to the West; but out of the West came a cold wind, and it bent away, and with a sigh dissolved into nothing.”

And although he had unwittingly placed himself in the public Eye with his boldness, the new employee’s eyes were opened.  He knew the CEO sensed his agenda was altruistic and altogether incompatible with the company’s quest for power.  He knew, despite his pure intentions, he was likely to be labeled “Dangerous.”  He was tempted to resign and return to the Shire, but he realized this was an opportunity.  The militia of unthinking orcs who comprised the vast majority of the company were hopeless.  But there were still colleagues who, although their vision had been temporarily obscured by the Shadow, maybe, just maybe would follow him into the Light if he led the way. 

“There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo.  And it’s worth fighting for.”