Tech CEOs are using AI to replace themselves

An representation of Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski’s AI-generated avatar.

Tech institution CEOs aren’t conscionable making their companies AI-first: this week, they’re utilizing AI avatars to regenerate themselves successful net calls.

Buy-now-pay-later institution Klarna featured the AI mentation of CEO and co-founder Sebastian Siemiatkowski successful an 83-second video astir its Q1 2025 results, as reported by TechCrunch. The video’s description says that his “AI avatar” is presenting the results, and the AI avatar kicks disconnected the video by saying that “it’s me, oregon rather, my AI avatar.” 

Klarna has already been vocal astir however it uses AI successful its business, with Siemiatkowski telling CNBC this period that the institution shrunk its workforce successful portion arsenic a effect of its AI investments. This besides isn’t adjacent the archetypal time the institution has utilized an AI mentation of Siemiatkowski to stock earnings.

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan besides deployed an AI mentation of himself for the company’s Q1 2026 net telephone connected Wednesday. “Today, I’m utilizing our customized avatars for Zoom Clips with AI Companion to stock my portion of the net report,” Yuan’s avatar said successful a video. “I’m arrogant to beryllium among the first-ever CEOs to usage an avatar successful an net call.” In the apical close country of the video, you tin spot a connection that says “created with Zoom AI Companion.”

The quality Yuan showed up for the unrecorded Q&A information of the call, though. “I genuinely emotion my AI-generated avatar,” helium said portion responding to the archetypal question. “I deliberation we are going to proceed utilizing that. I tin archer you — I similar that acquisition a lot.” Perhaps not astonishing from the feline who wants “digital twins” to attend meetings connected your behalf.