The implication being that execs want folks who "reach for AI" to meet some arbitrary contract targets? Sounds like optimizing for the wrong things but I've seen crazier schemes.

In my opinion the end goal of those execs pushing AI is the age old goal of seizing the means of production (of software in this case) by reducing the worker to a machine. It'll likely play out in their favor honestly, as it has many times in the past.