In what might be a sign of a potential paradigm shift in business communication, a handful of tech CEOs are now using AI avatars to replace them for crucial meetings, such as quarterly earnings calls. Nothing like it has been seen before, and it is setting out to make communications better, job tasks easier, and to see how far we really can push AI in the professional workspace.
Mid-week, Klarna CEO and co-founder Sebastian Siemiatkowski delivered the company’s Q1 2025 results in an 83-second video starring his AI avatar. The lifelike digital doppelganger provided the most pressing financial news, even beginning with a self-aware nod to its artificial intelligence. This wasn’t the first time Klarna has done this, having previously employed an AI avatar of Siemiatkowski for the company’s earnings report in December 2024.
Soon afterwards, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan used an AI avatar of himself during the company’s Q1 2026 earnings call. For the keynote portion of the event, Yuan himself did a live Q&A, as his Zoom AI Companion avatar gave an opening discussion. He shared his excitement for the tech, adding that he “really loves” his AI self and plans to continue using it.
The release is an example of how advanced AI is becoming at replicating the human face and voice. Employing avatars for high-stakes scenarios such as earnings calls demonstrates increasing confidence in AI’s capacity to deliver information smoothly. Zoom has also stated they aim to roll out its custom avatar feature to all users in the near future which could indicate a wider uptake for technology like this in future.
While advocates point to potential boosts in efficiency and the ability for CEOs to be in many places at the same time, the use of AI avatars also raises questions about leadership, communication and humanity’s role. Whether an AI can earn trust and true relationships is still being debated. Some analysts also warn against potential suspicions about AI-optimised messaging.
Curiously, this shift toward AI expression comes at a point when some firms, like Klarna, are scaling back their use of AI in customer service, with a newfound appreciation of the irreplaceable benefits of human interaction in some situations. This reinforces a perhaps less tech-enthusiastic perception of AI integration: technology supplements but doesn’t come close to replacing human roles.
The fad of AI avatars used by tech CEOs is only in its infancy, but it is a bold move toward the future of corporate communication. As this technology progresses, it will be interesting to see how this will effect leadership, investor relations, and the nuances of the professional world.
