When two tech CEOs used AI avatars during quarterly earnings calls

With artificial intelligence (AI) becoming a regular global presence, corporate communication is experiencing a notable shift. Two prominent tech CEOs, Eric Yuan of Zoom and Sebastian Siemiatkowski of Klarna, have recently utilised AI avatars to present during their respective quarterly earnings calls, highlighting a growing embrace of the technology within C-suites.

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan deployed his custom AI avatar for initial remarks during a recent earnings call. The avatar was created using Zoom Clips, the company's asynchronous video creation tool.

"I am proud to be among the first CEOs to use an avatar in an earnings call. It is just one example of how Zoom is pushing the boundaries of communication and collaboration," the avatar said. The company also underscored its commitment to trust and security, affirming that safeguards are in place to prevent misuse and protect user identity for AI-generated content.

Similarly, Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski's AI avatar presented highlights during the buy-now-pay-later firm's recent quarterly earnings. While the presentation from the AI avatar was largely human-like, subtle cues, such as infrequent blinking and minor voice synchronization discrepancies, indicated its artificial nature.

Google co-founder used AI for appraisals
Recently, Google co-founder Sergey Brin discussed the growing role of AI in management, particularly for top-level executives. Speaking on the ‘All In’ podcast, Brin detailed how he leveraged an AI tool to assist in managing the Gemini product team.

Brin explained that the AI analysed extensive chat logs and conversations to simplify complex discussions, answering intricate queries based on the comprehensive data. He also revealed that he used AI utility in identifying a deserving candidate for an appraisal whom he had not personally recognized.

"It actually picked out this young woman engineer who I didn’t even notice, she wasn’t very vocal. I talked to the manager, actually, and he was like, ‘Yeah, you’re right. Like she’s been working really hard, did all these things'," Brin stated.