With the rise of generative AI like ChatGPT, anxieties about job automation have surged, focusing on roles like graphic designers and programmers. But The Hustle explored a bolder proposition: could CEOs be replaced by AI?
The case for AI CEOs is compelling. Many CEO tasks – budgeting, performance tracking, data-driven decision-making – are AI strengths. Coupled with the exorbitant average CEO compensation (290 times that of the average worker), replacing CEOs offers significant cost savings. Further bolstering this argument, an edX survey revealed that nearly half of CEOs believe their role could be fully automated.
To test this hypothesis, The Hustle tasked Claude.AI, Anthropic's chatbot, with acting as CEO for three struggling companies: Nike, Southwest Airlines, and Starbucks. The AI was instructed to develop overarching leadership strategies and answer follow-up questions for more specific plans.
Interestingly, the AI-generated strategies largely mirrored those of human CEOs, including their penchant for corporate jargon. This likely reflects the AI's reliance on publicly available information, potentially drawing inspiration from existing company strategies.
However, a key difference emerged in the AI's approach to layoffs and customer relations. The AI CEOs demonstrated a stronger commitment to employee and customer well-being than their human counterparts typically show. READ MORE PHOTO CREDIT: theHUSTLE
