AI advancements may lead to chatbots assuming CEO roles: researcher discusses the potential for AI to manage CEO responsibilities
In a bold prediction, futurist Michael Tchong suggests that the near future could see a succession of AI chiefs taking over top positions in various companies. This shift, he believes, is driven by efficiency demands and the potential for AI to optimise a company's processes.
The pressure for AI integration at the highest levels is not only coming from within the tech industry. Investors are increasingly demanding that U.S. companies bring AI into top-level positions, with the expectation that companies with AI in leadership roles will perform better.
The cost-effectiveness of AI CEOs is a significant factor in this push. Unlike highly paid C-suite executives, AI would not demand a large salary. In fact, AI agents have already taken on a significant amount of work at companies like Salesforce, leading to job eliminations in certain sectors.
AI could potentially hold co-CEO or even independent CEO positions, according to Tchong's prediction. In such a scenario, human counterparts could take the lead in setting the company's strategic direction, handling crises, or situations that require emotional intelligence.
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of payment provider Klarna, has already stated that AI could take over his work. Similarly, Tamay Besiroglu, co-founder and CEO of startup Mechanize, wants to use AI to automate all tasks, including those of leaders like himself.
The Wall Street is also expected to demand more technology in decision-making roles. Sam Liang, CEO and co-founder of note-taking app Otter, believes that more leaders will soon use avatars to attend meetings and answer questions.
The first companies to adopt AI could create competitive pressure for other companies to follow suit. Already, some companies outside the U.S. have appointed AI leaders.
Recent reports from early 2025 suggest that several major U.S. companies have recognised the need to install AI leadership roles or plan to do so as part of making AI governance a top executive responsibility. Over 66% of U.S. business leaders have already hired employees specifically to implement or leverage AI, indicating growing internal AI leadership in large enterprises.
However, the risk for employees is that they may perform tasks that could be taken over by AI. But leadership tasks, consisting of "100 percent decisions," are less likely to be affected.
AI efficiency gains are seen as "inevitable" by Tchong, and the shift in leadership roles could be the next big step in this evolution. As AI continues to challenge traditional leadership tasks such as decision-making, forecasting, and risk modeling, it remains to be seen how this new dynamic will reshape the corporate landscape.
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