AI Executives in the Boardroom: How Digital Doubles Are Changing Leadership and Meetings

The Role of AI in Executive Meetings

Generative AI promises to take over routine tasks, freeing up valuable time. For executives, this mainly means transforming how meetings are handled. A Harvard Business School study found that CEOs spend 72% of their time in meetings. Cutting down this load could open space for strategic planning, culture building, and innovation.

Experiments with AI in Meetings

Some CEOs are already testing AI doubles. Klarna’s Sebastian Siemiatkowski used an AI version of himself for a financial update. Sam Liang of Otter.ai created a “Sam-bot” to attend meetings. Zoom CEO Eric Yuan introduced an AI avatar for remarks during a Q1 earnings call. Though slightly uncanny, Yuan’s goal is for this digital twin to make decisions and represent him within a year.

Steve Rafferty from Zoom has also tried this tech. His team spans from the Arctic to Antarctica with 60 languages, making meetings a challenge. Using his AI avatar, Rafferty recently delivered a quarterly meeting introduction in fluent French. This lets him be in multiple places at once, speaking different languages. His teams have accepted this AI version, seeing it as a useful communication tool.

Handing Over Power to AI

Currently, AI doubles mostly deliver one-way messages. Zoom is training these AI companions to mimic executive communication and decision styles. Rafferty keeps his AI companion active across all channels—video, phone, chat. The next step is trusting AI to make decisions.

Dan Thompson, CEO of Sensay, uses his AI replica to draft email replies, saving hours daily. His AI learns from calls, messages, and documents to match his tone and probable responses. For example, while sorting a visa at the embassy, Thompson’s AI prepared his morning emails, requiring only his review.

AI Impersonators and Risks

Despite clear efficiency gains, AI use comes with risks. AI can hallucinate, presenting false information as fact. This is dangerous if a CEO’s AI voice or avatar spreads inaccuracies. Last year, fraudsters used a deepfake of WPP CEO Mark Read to scam an agency leader into setting up a fake business.

Relying on AI-delivered messages risks increasing employee vulnerability to scams. This calls for caution and clear policies on AI communication.

The Need for Governance in AI Use

Businesses must set clear strategies on AI communication. Rafferty warns against jumping into AI without structure. Proper governance and processes build trust and prevent misuse.

Training AI doubles requires granting access to sensitive company data. Rafferty’s AI companion has full access to his work phone and meeting recordings. Security depends on platform setup. An improperly configured system could expose confidential information. This risk stems from human error, not AI itself.

Can AI Replace the CEO?

AI can save time but can't replace the human side of leadership. The CEO’s role involves more than outputs; it’s about meaning, ethics, and inspiration. AI can analyze trends but lacks the instinct and judgment needed for complex decisions.

Dr. Alexandra Dobra-Kiel, strategy director at Behave, points out that leadership involves grappling with ethical dilemmas and inspiring teams through challenges. People follow leaders they trust, not just voices that sound like them.

While tech CEOs like Yuan plan to offload meetings to AI, the core of leadership remains a human domain.