Imagine having a direct line to your CEO, anytime, anywhere. Sounds impossible? Not anymore. Welcome to the age of the AI CEO. Alex Alonso, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), essentially cloned his CEO, Johnny Taylor Jr., using emails and public appearances to create an AI chatbot. This AI version provides Alonso with feedback on his work ideas, ensuring they're polished before presenting them to the real Taylor. The results? A 'work in progress,' but one that's already shifted Alonso's approach to problem-solving. But here's where it gets interesting... this isn't an isolated case. Companies are increasingly turning to AI doubles of their CEOs, making senior leadership more accessible to both employees and the public. This trend is the latest twist in the ongoing AI labor debate, sparking concerns about job displacement.
Sumeet Gupta of FTI Consulting notes a surge in interest in AI digital twins in the last six months, while Suman Kanuganti, CEO of Personal AI, reports a rise in demand for building these AI doubles since late 2024. And it's not just the executives who are intrigued. 'I'm not going to say that my colleagues are trying to bribe me for access to this GPT, but you'd be surprised,' Alonso admitted.
A CEO That Never Sleeps and Speaks Any Language
The appeal is clear: AI CEOs are available around the clock. Klarna launched a hotline in June where anyone can chat with an AI version of CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski. The hotline has handled over 3,000 calls, addressing questions about the app, payment options, and refunds. Siemiatkowski's AI avatar even delivered highlights from the company's earnings report. Zoom has adopted a similar approach.
Scott Likens of PwC highlights the potential to reduce executive travel, especially since these AI avatars can be programmed to speak multiple languages. Jean-Yves Couput, Senior Executive Advisor to Salomon, the sports apparel company, is experimenting with an AI persona of CEO Guillaume Meyzenq for precisely this reason. The goal? To provide global employees with broader access to Meyzenq and to preserve his vision and knowledge. 'The No. 1 point was to make sure that Guillaume was available to every single employee of the company, whoever they are and wherever they live, 24/7,' Couput explained. Currently, around 40 people within Salomon have access to Meyzenq's AI persona, with new hires being the most frequent users. The company is even exploring an AI 'buddy' to help onboard new employees.
These AI personas typically focus on specific topics, like financial history or HR resources, and are trained on company data and the individual's likeness, including public appearances and emails. Klarna used Siemiatkowski's 'real voice, communication style, and insights' to create its AI CEO hotline.
Creating an AI CEO: A Surprisingly Quick Process
Developing these AI doubles doesn't take long once you have the necessary data. Couput recalls the AI twin of Salomon's CEO being completed within days after providing Personal AI with the required documents. Alonso estimates it took him about four hours to develop the AI chatbot of Taylor, spread over six weeks due to its nature as a personal project. Gathering the data, however, can be the most time-consuming step, according to Gupta and Likens, as it must comply with data privacy laws. 'There's a lot of regulatory framework that you have put around the data,' Likens noted, emphasizing the importance of training AI models on data approved for their intended purpose.
AI and the Future of Work: A Shifting Landscape
The rise of AI has triggered anxieties about its impact on the workforce. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, warned earlier this year that AI could lead to increased unemployment in white-collar professions. The tech sector has already been hit hard, with companies like Amazon, Meta, and Salesforce implementing significant layoffs, at least partly due to AI. Once considered a golden ticket, a computer science degree is now facing challenges, with a drop of 8% in employment for recent graduates with computer science and math degrees since 2022, according to Oxford Economics.
While AI avatars like those used by Klarna and Salomon are meant to be extensions of their CEOs, not replacements, businesses are increasingly investing in AI agents for day-to-day tasks. A PwC survey of 300 senior executives revealed that 79% are already adopting AI agents in their businesses. However, not everyone believes AI will be detrimental to job seekers and new graduates. Some argue that AI will create new job opportunities and free up workers to focus on more rewarding aspects of their roles.
When CNN asked the Klarna AI avatar if the company would replace its staff with AI, the response was insightful: 'That’s a very thoughtful question, and it’s something many people are considering. At Klarna we see AI as a tool to enhance what we do, not to replace our human teams entirely.'
What do you think? Will AI transform the role of the CEO, or will it simply augment it? Are you concerned about the potential impact of AI on the workforce, or do you see it as a positive development? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
