AI Sees All

The conference room door closed behind me. In the entire sales department, dozens of people were packed into their seats. No one dared to look up.

The room was so quiet that the only sound was the soft mechanical whir of the AI cameras turning.

The newly appointed HR director, Lucas Reed, followed me out. He clapped his hands sharply, the sound cutting through the silence.

"Wake up, everyone. Don't end up like Nathan here—stuck in old habits, resisting new technology. In the end, the only one who loses is you."

He stopped at my desk and rapped his knuckles against the surface.

"Nathan, don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Not happy about this?"

I said nothing. I just looked at him.

"I'll spell it out for you. This system cost the headquarters eight figures to bring in from Nova Valley. It is the most efficient management model available. Whatever little schemes you're cooking up mean nothing in front of it."

The smile on his face widened.

"Oh, and one more thing. I almost forgot to inform you. Starting today, the AI monitoring system will include a 'positive energy' metric. It will evaluate your work enthusiasm in real time based on facial expressions. So keep smiling. Otherwise, what gets deducted won't just be your bonus."

With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and strode away like an official inspecting his territory.

At the desk beside mine, Claire Sullivan cautiously slid a note toward me. 'Nathan, are you okay? Mr. Reed went way too far.'

I picked up my pen and wrote a brief reply underneath. 'I'm fine.'

The moment I finished writing, the AI speaker above our heads came to life.

"Warning. Employee Nathan Gray has engaged in nonessential, non-work-related communication with a colleague. A fine of 100 has been issued."

Claire recoiled as if burned, pulling her hand back at once. Her face was drained of color.

I tightened my grip on the pen. The tip gouged deeply into the paper, leaving a deep mark.