CEOs Embrace AI Avatars for Earnings Calls: Zoom and Klarna Lead the Way
8 Sources
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After Klarna, Zoom's CEO also uses an AI avatar on quarterly call
CEOs are now so immersed in AI, they're sending their avatars to address quarterly earnings calls instead of themselves, at least partially. After the Klarna CEO's AI avatar appeared on an investor call earlier this week, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan followed suit, also using his avatar for initial
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Tech CEOs are using AI to replace themselves
Jay Peters is a news editor covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme. Tech company CEOs aren't just making their companies AI-first: this week, they're using AI avatars to replace themselves in earnings calls. Buy now, pay later company
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The CEOs of Zoom and Klarna have presented earnings calls using AI avatars
A hot potato: As if we didn't already know how much CEOs love the job-cutting, cost-slashing, investor-pleasing benefits of AI, chief executives are now using the technology to create avatars of themselves in earnings calls. Klarna's CEO recently did it, and now Zoom CEO Eric Yuan has followed
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The CEOs of Zoom and Klarna have presented earnings calls using AI...
Yuan used an AI avatar of himself via Zoom Clips, the company's asynchronous video creation tool. The clip, which you can see here at around the 2:40 mark, shows a realistic-looking recreation of the CEO speaking to the camera. While it might be hard to tell that this isn't the real Yuan when the
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Zoom's Eric Yuan becomes second CEO to use AI avatar on important investment call, ahead of the platform's new custom avatar addon release
"I am proud to be among the first CEOs to use an avatar in an earnings call," With AI being on the lips of almost every CEO, it makes some sort of poetic sense that the lips of every CEO may soon be AI. In a recent earnings call, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, used his AI avatar to address those tuned in.
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Klarna's CEO Used an AI Clone of Himself to Report Quarterly Earnings. Here's Why.
Was that Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski on the screen or an AI clone? When "buy now, pay later" fintech company Klarna reported its first-quarter financial results this week via video, it placed a realistic AI clone of Siemiatkowski, 43, front and center. The clone started the one-minute,
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AI to replace CEOs? Tech bosses test the waters with digital twins
With AI becoming more integrated across industries, some tech CEOs are now using digital avatars for earnings calls. Klarna's Sebastian Siemiatkowski and Zoom's Eric Yuan are among the first to trial AI versions of themselves, signalling a shift in how companies may present to the public in
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AI Avatars Are Taking Over The Spotlight As Zoom And Klarna CEOs Let Their Digital Doubles Deliver Earnings Reports -- Blurring The Line Between Real And Virtual Leadership
The artificial intelligence frenzy is not going away any time soon; rather, the integration of technology in varied domains has become increasingly common, and we see AI being adopted so widely. Just when we thought we had seen enough of it, tech companies kept on finding new ways to use the
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Zoom CEO Eric Yuan and Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski use AI-generated avatars in quarterly earnings calls, signaling a new trend in corporate communication and raising questions about the future of AI in business presentations.
AI Avatars Make Their Debut in Corporate Earnings Calls
In a groundbreaking move that signals the increasing integration of artificial intelligence in corporate communications, the CEOs of Zoom and Klarna have recently used AI-generated avatars to present their quarterly earnings calls. This development marks a significant shift in how executives interact with investors and stakeholders, potentially setting a new trend in the business world.
Zoom's Eric Yuan Leads with AI Innovation
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan made headlines by using an AI avatar of himself during the company's Q1 2026 earnings call
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. The avatar, created using Zoom Clips, the company's asynchronous video creation tool, delivered Yuan's initial comments. "I am proud to be among the first CEOs to use an avatar in an earnings call," the AI-generated Yuan stated, emphasizing Zoom's commitment to pushing the boundaries of communication and collaboration2
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Source: TechCrunch
The use of AI avatars aligns with Yuan's long-standing vision of creating digital twins for users in meetings. Zoom's custom AI feature, which allows users to create photorealistic doppelgangers, was launched in April 2025 as part of the paid Custom AI Companion add-on
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. This feature is now being rolled out to all Zoom Workplace customers and is available as a standalone product.Klarna Pioneers AI-Driven Earnings Presentation
Prior to Yuan's avatar appearance, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of buy now, pay later firm Klarna, had already set the stage by presenting an earnings report using an AI-generated avatar
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. Klarna's use of AI extends beyond presentations, with the company leveraging artificial intelligence to cut costs in various aspects of its operations.
Source: The Verge
Technical Aspects and User Experience
While the AI avatars represent a significant technological advancement, they are not without their quirks. Observers noted that Yuan's avatar, while realistic when paused, showed some unnatural movements during speech. The mouth movements appeared slightly off, and the eyes remained eerily static with an almost mechanical blinking pattern
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Implications and Future Prospects
The adoption of AI avatars by high-profile CEOs raises important questions about the future of corporate communications and workplace interactions:
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Authenticity and Trust: As AI-generated content becomes more prevalent, ensuring the authenticity of communications and maintaining trust with stakeholders will be crucial
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Efficiency vs. Personal Touch: While AI avatars may offer convenience and consistency, they may also reduce the personal connection between executives and their audience.
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Deepfake Concerns: The technology's advancement brings to the forefront concerns about the potential misuse of deepfake technology in corporate settings
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AI-to-AI Interactions: This trend could be a step towards a future where AI agents interact on behalf of humans in various professional contexts
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Broader AI Integration in Business
The use of AI avatars in earnings calls is part of a larger trend of AI integration in business operations. Companies like Klarna have reported using AI to reduce workforce costs, although with the caveat that AI customer service agents currently offer "lower quality" output compared to humans
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.As this technology continues to evolve, it will likely spark debates about the balance between innovation and maintaining human elements in business interactions. The coming months will reveal whether other companies follow suit, potentially reshaping the landscape of corporate communications in the AI era.
Source: Wccftech
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