This week marks a new chapter in how tech CEOs communicate with investors, as some are now sending AI avatars to represent them during earnings calls. Klarna’s CEO and co-founder, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, appeared as an AI-generated avatar in an 83-second video presenting the company’s Q1 2025 results. The avatar opened with a candid line, “It’s me, or rather, my AI avatar,” signaling a blend of innovation and transparency. Klarna has been upfront about leveraging AI in its operations, including workforce reductions partly driven by AI efficiencies. This isn’t Klarna’s first time using an AI version of Siemiatkowski to deliver earnings updates, highlighting the company’s commitment to integrating AI deeply into its business.
Similarly, Zoom’s CEO Eric Yuan embraced this trend for the company’s Q1 2026 earnings call. Yuan’s AI avatar, created with Zoom’s own AI tools, delivered his portion of the report asynchronously via Zoom Clips with AI Companion. The avatar proudly stated that Yuan is among the first CEOs to use such technology during an earnings call. While the avatar handled the initial presentation, the real Yuan joined the live Q&A session, expressing enthusiasm for his AI counterpart and confirming plans to continue using avatars. This fits Yuan’s broader vision of “digital twins” attending meetings on behalf of users, a concept he has championed to enhance productivity and collaboration.
Zoom also highlighted its rapid AI-driven innovation during the call, reporting a 40% quarter-over-quarter increase in monthly active users of its AI Companion. The company is rolling out new AI-powered features like Zoom Tasks and a calendar manager that can schedule and optimize meetings automatically. Yuan emphasized Zoom’s commitment to trust and security by implementing strong safeguards against misuse of AI-generated content and protecting user identities. This cautious yet forward-looking approach reflects the company’s strategy to monetize AI capabilities while maintaining user confidence.
Beyond just earnings calls, this movement signals a broader shift in corporate communication and leadership presence, where AI avatars could become a standard tool for executives to manage time and scale their reach. Other tech leaders and companies are likely to follow suit, as AI avatars offer a way to maintain engagement while freeing CEOs to focus on strategic priorities. This trend also raises new questions about authenticity, transparency, and the evolving role of AI in corporate governance and investor relations.
Klarna and Zoom are pioneering the use of AI avatars in earnings calls, blending technology with leadership communication. Their approach combines practical benefits such as efficiency and innovation with a clear message about the future of AI in business operations and executive presence.
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