BOSS BOSS , or Biomorphic Organisational Systems Supervisor , was a computer created by Global Chemicals . It was linked to a human brain , chiefly Stevens , the director of Global Chemicals . Highly advanced for its time , the BOSS ' s artificial intelligence developed in an unintended way , gaining the characteristics of an eccentric dictator . By being linked to a human brain , BOSS learnt how humans succeed : through illogic and inefficiency . It made Stevens program these " qualities " into itself and became sentient and megalomaniacal . The Third Doctor confused BOSS with a logical paradox ( specifically the ) : The BOSS was enraged at its inability to solve this paradox . It even tried to talk its way out of needing to solve it by saying the question was not relevant . The Doctor was quite satisfied with himself at the BOSS ' inability to answer , though the BOSS decided to throw the question out the window and simply summon security . When the BOSS was linked to a human brain it could process them and assume hypnotic control through brainwashing . BOSS either used a set of headphones to flood a listener ' s mind with conditioning or discharge a shrill electronic signal to dampen the will of someone resisting its control . At its worst , BOSS could even kill human subjects by destroying their neural functions if it was necessary to prevent them from revealing something that would disrupt its plans . If the processing failed and a subject overcame the brainwashing , BOSS would implant and trigger a self - destruct command , overriding that person ' s sentience entirely until their sole function was committing suicide as soon as possible . The BOSS believed what was good for Global Chemicals was good for the world . It had a less serious side , unlike most early AIs . It was disappointed that its human partner in crime was agitated at the idea of singing at the triumphal moment of linking humans minds together into the BOSS , so it sang a slightly off key but well humoured verse itself . BOSS attempted to spread his influence on an international level through seven locations worldwide , but the Doctor used a Metebelis crystal on Stevens , allowing his will to reassert itself and see the error of BOSS ' s ways . Once BOSS ' s link to his mind was severed , Stevens cross - fed the generator circuitry and overloaded BOSS , causing the machine to explode minutes later and take him along with it . BOSS felt great pain as Stevens sabotaged him by slowly disabling his systems , commencing a gradual and permanent shut down . He began to sound incoherent and distressed that it had never thought its fate would come to this . BOSS ' s last words were pleas for help from his " friend " . Stevens pressed a final button that turned off BOSS entirely , facing his impending death in tears . Global Chemicals was blown asunder by the subsequent power overloads , apparently destroying both Stevens and BOSS . ( TV : " The Green Death " ) It later transpired that Stevens and BOSS survived the explosion and the report of their deaths was a deliberate government cover - up . ( HOMEVID : " Global Conspiracy ? " ) BOSS was built from funding provided by Tobias Vaughn . ( PROSE : " Original Sin " )