Zoom CEO Uses AI Avatar in Earnings Call — A Glimpse Into the Future of Executive Presence

In a move that blurs the line between human and machine-led communication, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan joined the emerging trend of AI avatars replacing CEOs — at least partially — during live investor calls. Following Klarna’s recent experiment, Yuan deployed his AI likeness during Zoom’s quarterly earnings call to deliver his opening remarks, using the company’s own asynchronous video tool, Zoom Clips.

“I am proud to be among the first CEOs to use an avatar in an earnings call,” said Yuan’s avatar. “It’s just one example of how Zoom is pushing the boundaries of communication and collaboration.”

Yuan reassured listeners about security and ethical safeguards, noting that Zoom has built mechanisms to prevent misuse, protect user identity, and ensure that avatars are used responsibly and transparently.

More Than a Gimmick: A Vision for AI-Augmented Leadership

Yuan has been vocal in the past about his vision of a future where digital twins attend meetings on behalf of humans — freeing up executive time, streamlining workflows, and even offering scalability in leadership presence. The CEO of Otter.ai is also reportedly training an AI avatar to delegate certain communication tasks, signaling that this is not a one-off novelty but the start of a broader movement.

This week, Zoom announced that custom avatars will roll out to all users, signaling an early effort to normalize avatar-based interaction at scale — not just in earnings calls, but potentially in day-to-day meetings, client briefings, and internal updates.

Implications for the AI and Business Communities

• Redefining Executive Presence: AI avatars may reshape what leadership visibility looks like — offering the illusion of presence while freeing up human bandwidth.

• Ethical Considerations: As avatars become more realistic, transparency about when you're interacting with a real person vs. a digital twin becomes critical — especially in high-stakes conversations like investor calls.

• Cultural Shift in Communication: This moment marks a symbolic shift from AI being just a behind-the-scenes assistant to becoming a front-facing participant in business communication.

• A New Market for AI Identity Tools: As demand grows for personalized avatars, it opens up new business opportunities in voice cloning, facial rendering, avatar behavior modeling, and avatar management platforms.

What we’re witnessing is the early adoption of AI personification in corporate leadership — a development that could alter norms in transparency, trust, and human-machine collaboration.