CEOs from Zoom and Klarna have recently utilized AI avatars during their earnings reports, demonstrating a significant shift towards AI in leadership roles.
Klarna’s CEO and co-founder, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, appeared as an AI avatar in an 83-second video presenting the company’s Q1 2025 results. The video description notes that his “AI avatar” introduces the presentation by stating, “it’s me, or rather, my AI avatar.”
Siemiatkowski has previously mentioned that Klarna’s investments in AI have contributed to workforce reductions. This is not the first time the company has used an AI version of him for earnings announcements.
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Meanwhile, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan also showcased an AI version of himself during the company’s Q1 2026 earnings call. His avatar stated, “Today, I’m using our custom avatars for Zoom Clips with AI Companion to share my part of the earnings report,” emphasizing his pride in being among the first CEOs to adopt this technology.
Although Yuan’s avatar handled the earnings report, he participated in the live Q&A session, expressing enthusiasm for the AI-generated avatar. “I truly love my AI-generated avatar,” he remarked, indicating plans to continue using it in the future. This aligns with his vision of “digital twins” attending meetings on behalf of users.
SOURCE: THE VERGE