“Cog2.0” announced by Aron So, CEO of ASR. Fired next day. The covert Cogsune project continues to this day.
Generally this has been regarded as one of the biggest marketing blunders or best corporate cover-ups in the history of history, as ASR has been leaking Cogsune-inspired research and setting the speed of technological growth ever since. But the initial side effect of this botched PR moment was to frighten the Cog race with the sudden threat of obsolescence.