India, Dec. 17 -- Max was a rising star in the corporate world. He had all the gear-dual monitors, noise-canceling headphones, a smartwatch that tracked everything from his heart rate to his caffeine intake, and a standing desk that adjusted via app-a posterchild of the modern professional.

The CEO had given him one task: Present the quarterly corporate results to the leadership team. This Monday morning Max strutted into the office and proudly showed off his new smartwatch. "It's got AI that tells me when I'm stressed," he announced. "It even buzzes when I need to breathe."

Max adjusted his tie and announced he had synced the Q2 report "to the cloud." The CEO nodded. Minutes into his presentation, the screen went blank. "No worries," M...