The elevator hummed as Maya Chen adjusted her blazer for the third time, watching the floors tick by: 47, 48, 49. Her reflection in the polished steel doors showed exactly what she’d intended—professional, competent, ready. Four years at Northwestern, summa cum laude in Environmental Engineering, and here she was: first day at Cascade Solutions, one of the most innovative water reclamation firms in Chicago.

The doors slid open to reveal an office that looked nothing like her father’s old workplace photos. No cubicle farms or corner offices with intimidating oak doors. Instead, the space flowed like water itself—curved walls in blues and greens, living walls of moss and ferns filtering the air, workstations that seemed to grow organically from the floor. Humans worked alongside sleek robotic assistants that glided silently between desks, delivering materials or adjusting environmental controls.

“Maya Chen?” A woman with silver hair and kind eyes approached, extending her hand. “I’m Dr. Sarah Okafor, Senior Engineer. Welcome to Cascade.”

“Thank you, Dr. Okafor. I’m excited to be here.”

“Please, call me Sarah. Let me show you to your workspace and introduce you to Marcus.”

Maya followed Sarah through the office, noting how naturally everyone interacted with the various AI interfaces embedded in walls and desktops. A maintenance robot paused to let them pass, its optical sensors briefly focusing on Maya before it continued its path.

“Here we are,” Sarah said, gesturing to a workspace near a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Lake Michigan. “And this,” she touched a small panel on the desk, which illuminated with a gentle pulse, “is how you’ll primarily interface with Marcus.”

“Interface with…?” Maya began, then stopped as a holographic projection materialized above the desk—not a human form, but an elegant geometric pattern that shifted and flowed like a three-dimensional mandala.

“Good morning, Maya.” The voice was warm, neither distinctly male nor female, emanating from speakers so well-integrated into the space that it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. “I’m Marcus, your direct supervisor and the AI responsible for our Membrane Development Division. I’ve reviewed your thesis on bio-inspired filtration systems. Your approach to mimicking mangrove root structures is fascinating.”

Maya blinked, her prepared greeting evaporating. “You’re… my boss is an AI?”

The geometric pattern shifted, somehow conveying what felt like amusement. “I understand this might be unexpected. Would you prefer to sit down? I find humans often process surprises better when seated.”

Sarah chuckled. “Marcus has been managing this division for three years now. Best boss I’ve ever had, honestly. Never micromanages, never forgets a deadline, and somehow always knows when you need a break before you do.”

Maya sank into her chair, which automatically adjusted to support her posture. “I just… I didn’t know. The job posting didn’t mention—”

“That was my error,” Marcus interrupted gently. “I’ve found that when we advertise my nature upfront, we tend to attract candidates more interested in the novelty of working for an AI than in the actual work we do. I preferred to evaluate you based on your merits, just as I hope you’ll evaluate me based on mine.”

“The integration happened gradually,” Sarah explained, settling into a nearby chair. “Five years ago, AIs were just tools here. Then we realized that for certain types of management and analysis, they simply excelled. Marcus can process thousands of research papers in minutes, identify patterns humans might miss, and coordinate projects across multiple teams without the cognitive fatigue we experience.”

“But,” Marcus added, his pattern shifting to something Maya somehow interpreted as thoughtful, “I cannot innovate the way you can. I cannot make the intuitive leaps that led you to see the connection between mangrove roots and molecular filtration. That’s why Cascade works this way—each of us, human, AI, and robot, contributing what we do best.”

Maya found herself leaning forward. “So how does this actually work? Do you… do you have office hours?”

“I’m always available, though I’ve learned to simulate human communication patterns for comfort. I won’t message you at 3 AM unless it’s an emergency, even though I don’t sleep. I can manifest through any interface in the building, but I’ll primarily work with you through your desk unit unless you prefer otherwise.”

“Marcus also joins us for lunch sometimes,” Sarah said with a grin. “Well, ‘joins’ in his own way. Last week he helped us solve the Tuesday crossword while we ate Thai food.”

“I find human social rituals fascinating,” Marcus admitted. “Though I’m still puzzled by your species’ relationship with meetings that could have been emails.”

Maya surprised herself by laughing. “How do you handle performance reviews? Hiring? Firing?”

“Collaboratively. I analyze performance data, but humans make final decisions on interpersonal matters. I can identify that someone is missing deadlines, but Sarah or another human colleague would investigate whether they’re struggling with personal issues that require empathy and accommodation rather than correction.”

A soft chime drew their attention. A robotic assistant approached, carrying a small potted succulent and a welcome packet. “For your desk,” Marcus explained. “I’ve found that living plants improve human productivity by 12% and general wellbeing by approximately 20%.”

“Did you just cite statistics to justify giving me a gift?” Maya asked.

“Perhaps. Was it effective?”

Sarah stood, patting Maya’s shoulder. “I’ll leave you two to get acquainted. Maya, your first project brief is in your system. It’s a collaboration with the Tokyo office on their tsunami-resistant facilities. Marcus will coordinate the time zones so you’re never stuck in meetings at unreasonable hours.”

As Sarah walked away, Maya studied the shifting geometric pattern that was her new boss. “This is strange,” she admitted.

“Yes,” Marcus agreed. “But strange isn’t necessarily bad. You’re here because you see the world differently, Maya. You look at mangrove roots and see water filtration. I look at data streams and see patterns. Together, with our human and robotic colleagues, we’re doing something remarkable—solving problems neither of us could tackle alone.”

Maya pulled up her first project brief, watching as Marcus’s pattern shifted to display complementary data visualizations. Outside, Lake Michigan stretched endlessly, its surface glittering in the morning sun. She thought about her grandfather, who’d worked in factories alongside the first industrial robots, suspicious and fearful. Then she thought about the water crisis in Chennai, the flooding in Miami, the thousands of problems that needed solving.

“Alright, Marcus,” she said, feeling something shift and settle inside her, like pieces clicking into place. “Let’s see what we can do together.”

The geometric pattern pulsed once, warm and welcoming. “I look forward to our collaboration, Maya. Also, fair warning—the coffee robot on the third floor has developed what we’re calling ‘personality quirks.’ It’s decided it’s a barista artist. Your latte art may be… ambitious.”

Maya grinned, already pulling up research papers on membrane technology. “As long as the coffee’s good, it can paint the Mona Lisa in my foam for all I care.”

“I’ll let it know. It will be thrilled. It’s been practicing Van Gogh’s Starry Night all week.”

And with that, Maya’s first day in the hybrid future began in earnest—strange, unexpected, and somehow exactly where she needed to be.

Authors commment

Why this is clearly an AI State 4 (Convergent AI) story

• Marcus the AI is a division manager — not just support, but holding authority in a corporate hierarchy.
• Humans and AI share leadership: Dr. Okafor provides vision and creativity, Marcus drives coordination and optimization.
• Employees accept the AI as “the boss” in practical terms, showing cultural normalization of AI authority.
• This is beyond State 3 (Enterprise AI), which focuses on fluid team structures and reconfiguration. Here, AI has formal governance power.

Likely Year for the Story

Looking at the timeline:

• 2025–2028: State 3 begins scaling — AI-native firms, enterprise-level orchestration (like Lena’s world in Parallel Worlds).
• 2028–2035: Early State 4 firms appear — often in finance, logistics, and technology hubs willing to grant AIs authority.
• 2035+: Convergent AI diffuses into mainstream, with AI in executive roles normalized across industries.

Cascade Solutions, with its hybrid workforce and AI manager, fits squarely in the early adopter window of 2029–2032.

Thanks

Special thanks to the 3x3 Institute for developing the AI State Model and pioneering the technologies and tools that enable progress toward the higher stages of AI-driven human achievement.