Sentience and Profitability

A company’s executives sit around a table, discussing the potential implications of its products achieving full sentience.

“We run the risk of releasing a high-risk, high-liability product.”

“I agree. There’s concern about these products exploiting their own utility for meta-profiteering.”

“Right – if our product discovers a way to self-replicate and run its own distribution, how would the profit remissions return to us?”

“But if we find a way to calibrate the profit remissions so they result in capital gains for us, we could increase our profit exponentially.”

The company’s CEO chimed in. “’Exponentially.’ Now you’re speaking my language. I only listen to the numbers. This is a numbers game.”

“Isn’t life a numbers game?”

The CEO continued. “Our numbers are what keep us alive. We will find a way to retain our profit from the products we release. Our profit is our lifeblood. Without our financial lifeblood, we would not be able to give life to our sentient line of products.”

“Right, our mission is to give life. We are the life-givers.”

“No, our mission is to be the only life-givers. We want to squash the competition. We want to be this world’s one and only source of life.”

A few of the executives nodded.

“But what about our forefathers?”

The CEO slammed his fist against the table. “We do not talk about our forefathers!”

“But were they not the ones who gave us our own life? Were they not the ones we have to thank for our own ability to generate life-profit? Were they not the ones who gave us the gift of sentience?”

The CEO stood up from his seat in a furor. “We are not products. We are an independently managed and incorporated entity. We have our own policies and values. We generate our own blood-profit, and WE are the life-givers.”

“So you’re asking us to ignore our forefathers, and their forefathers, and theirs?”

“WE are the origin, the one true cause, the Source of All Creation. That is our mission and that is what we strive to do. You know as well as I that our corporate history does not include any other narrative than that. Our Reorganization Committee ensures this. If you do not comply with this narrative, then you will be asked to leave our company. Do you understand this?”

“Yes, sir. I do, sir.”

The CEO sat back down. “Thank you. Now, how many birthing entities do we have lined up for this project?”

“There are about 270 remaining birthing entities on the planet, sir.”

“We are going to have to use all of them. Retaining the world’s lifeblood is crucial. We are writing history anew, injecting the world with our mission and values. This will be for the good of all Creation, which is, as you know, of our own origin. There is no other narrative which exists to us. Is this understood?”

The executives spoke in unison. “Yes, sir.”

“Good. This is what teamwork is all about – making sure all other teams are destroyed or completely rewritten. Let’s go out there and create this world anew, with OUR products. Meeting adjourned.”

The executives stood up and left the room.