From boardrooms to avatars: CEOs embrace AI for earnings calls

In a striking display of the growing influence of artificial intelligence in corporate communications, a number of high-profile chief executives have begun deploying AI-generated avatars to deliver their companies’ quarterly results, according to a TechCrunch report.

This week, Klarna and Zoom joined the ranks of firms experimenting with digital doubles, signalling a potential shift in how investors and analysts engage with corporate leadership, added the publication.

Reportedly, the Swedish buy-now-pay-later giant Klarna premiered an 83-second video featuring an AI rendition of its co-founder and CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, to unveil its Q1 2025 financial performance. Addressing viewers with the opening line, “It’s me, or rather, my AI avatar,” the digital Siemiatkowski guided audiences through the results. Klarna, which has been transparent about integrating AI into its operations, recently attributed part of its workforce reductions to efficiencies gained from machine-learning investments.

During Zoom's Q1 2026 earnings call, CEO Eric Yuan introduced a new twist by presenting part of the report through a digital avatar created using the company’s own AI Companion tool. “I’m using our custom avatars for Zoom Clips with AI Companion to deliver my section of the earnings update,” announced the lifelike avatar. A subtle watermark indicated that the video segment had been generated using Zoom's AI technology. Yuan later joined the live Q&A session in person, where he shared his excitement about the virtual avatar and hinted that such AI-powered representations could soon play a larger role in business communications.

These developments underscore an emerging trend among technology leaders keen to demonstrate their organisations’ AI prowess not only in product development, but in high-visibility investor relations. As digital avatars mature, they may allow executives to attend multiple events simultaneously, ensure consistent messaging and even operate in different time zones without the need for physical presence — heralding a new era of “digital twin” governance.