Google’s Sundar Pichai says the job of CEO is one of the ‘easier things’ AI could soon replace

How is an AI chatbot going to eat a business lunch?

I’m sure there are many jobs AI is not capable of doing but some CEOs probably do a bad enough job that an AI chat bot could probably do better.

I know we like to dump on CEOs all the time but a good CEO does not seem like one that could be replaced by AI, certainly not by what is currently being hyped. There are just a lot of highly visible companies with CEOs who aren’t actually very good. I suspect the dysfunction of publicly traded companies and the goals of Wall Street investors (or other nations’ equivalents) frequently not aligning with a good long-term health of a company has a strong influence on this.

And of course these guys will be happy to have AI replace them; they’ve already made boatloads of money and think they’ll be able to keep that going even if they lose their job.

A computer can never be held accountable, so a computer should never hold a management position.

Also, Sundar Pichai is a dick.

You don't even need AI. Just pay staff less and charge customers more, and give the stolen money to shareholders. Ta-da! That's the CEO's job done.

Something that consistently makes bad choices with little more than random probability? You don't say

Indeed, a LLM can certainly spout bullshit on social media.

The job of a tech CEO:

• Chase trends
• Mass layoffs in time to make the quarterly reports look better
• FOMO
• ???
• Profit!

Let's run the job requirements list:

• amoral
• talks a lot about things they don't understand
• comfortable with lying if it benefits their goals
• emotionless psychpathic traits
• uses enormous amount of resources for questinable gains
• good at manipulation
• bad at maths
• occasional racist outbursts on social media

Yeah all seems to check out. Replace the CEOs, AI can't do worse.

AI could replace billionaires.

AI is uncaring and unfeeling, so wouldn't care if it was taxed appropriately.

You first, shithead

Hate to add to this.

He's saying it to heat up the topic.

These people liked the heaps of cheap good hardware after the dotcom crash, so now they want cheap good hardware, specialized.

I'm no fan of CEOs but I don't really want AI in charge of stuff either

That’s more an indictment of how we believe human society should be run than an endorsement of AI tbh

When chatgpt first came out and my CEO scrubbed my entire devision while giving zero bonuses yet having the most profitable year I wrote a prompt for a speech and it was practically verbatim. There's zero need for a CEO aside from maybe needing a fall guy with a golden parachute.

Subject: Q2 2023 Quarterly Update: Record-breaking Profits, Strategic Realignments, and Compensation Adjustments

Dear esteemed stakeholders,

I am thrilled to present to you the second-quarter update, brimming with noteworthy achievements and strategic developments that have significantly impacted our organization's performance. Despite operating in a dynamic and highly competitive landscape, we have delivered outstanding financial results that surpass any previous decade's records. I am excited to share these details and provide insight into the exceptional growth we have experienced in recent months.

Financial Highlights:

In Q2 2023, we witnessed a meteoric rise in our profitability, with net earnings reaching unprecedented heights, outperforming any comparable period over the past ten years. The diligent efforts of our teams, coupled with robust market conditions, synergistic acquisitions, and optimized cost structures, have paved the way for this remarkable achievement.

(Prompt outcome, probably could be more jargon heavy with chatgpt5!)

Strategic Realignment:

Our success can be primarily attributed to our relentless pursuit of strategic realignment initiatives across multiple fronts. By strategically refocusing our core business lines and leveraging our distinctive competencies, we have effectively capitalized on emerging market trends while fortifying our position as an industry leader.

Our investments in cutting-edge technology and digital transformation initiatives have empowered us to unlock new opportunities and drive operational efficiency. The implementation of data-driven analytics has yielded insightful decision-making capabilities, enabling us to optimize resource allocation and enhance overall productivity.

Product Portfolio Optimization:

Our product portfolio underwent a comprehensive review during Q2, resulting in strategic pruning and refocusing efforts. By prioritizing high-growth areas with maximum revenue potential and aligning our offerings with evolving customer needs, we have ensured a sharper competitive edge and amplified market penetration. This proactive approach has allowed us to streamline our operations while effectively positioning ourselves as a provider of innovative solutions.

Employee Recognition and Compensation Adjustments:

Regrettably, amidst these commendable financial achievements, it is imperative that we address a necessary adjustment to our compensation policies. While profits have soared, we have made the difficult decision not to award annual bonuses to our employees this year. This choice was made to safeguard the long-term sustainability and growth of our organization, considering the dynamic market conditions and the need for prudent financial management.

It is important to emphasize that this decision was not taken lightly, and we remain deeply committed to the well-being and development of our employees. Alternative avenues, such as performance-based incentives and recognition programs, will be explored to ensure ongoing motivation and engagement within our workforce. We firmly believe that nurturing a conducive work environment, coupled with career advancement opportunities, will continue to foster a culture of excellence and drive collective success.

Looking Forward:

Moving forward, we will remain steadfast in our commitment to driving sustainable growth, capitalizing on emerging market opportunities, and nurturing a resilient organizational culture. Our strategic initiatives will continue to prioritize innovation, operational excellence, and customer-centricity, ensuring our ability to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing business landscape.

I extend my deepest gratitude to each member of our organization, whose unwavering dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence have contributed to our resounding success. Together, we will navigate the evolving market dynamics and deliver sustainable value to our stakeholders.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

[Your Name] CEO, [Company Name]

I'm waiting for the day when a major company has their AI CEO absolutely tank the company.

Of course.

If you have CEOs who manage multiple companies, it means being CEO is never a full time job.

if it's so easy an ai could replace it than why are ceos the highest paid position in the company?

CEO’s job is to make business connections and get funding or contracts and stuff. People skills. LLM is really good at manipulation… If you give LLM a physical body, I would say it’s not that far-fetched…

Then who will be held responsible for its decisions?

So... that means they'll all step down and stop getting paid millions per year, right?

Right?

Guys? Right?

No?

...

😐

Never thought I'd hear honesty out of a C-Suiter

Of course he's cool with AI taking his job, he's got a golden parachute for early retirement

Trash tier "article".

You might as well go for the original BBC interview, while looks to be only in audio for now.

The more I hear people talking about AI, the more I believe people don't know what they are talking about, mostly

Quick we need an answer from our CEO ASAP! Sorry currently AWS and Cloudflare are down so were SOL.

Is this an attempt to be "relatable" for the slaves employees?

Do it!

If AI was truly worth anything then these tech ghouls wouldn't have to constantly hype it so much with click bait sound bites, and trying to shove AI features everywhere, even when it does not make much sense. These scum just want an excuse to keep laying off people to keep the bubble going so they can profitably exit while others are left holding the bag.

So I've already commented on this post, but I've had another thought: imagine if your CEO sent you an email saying "we need to do X". You respond with "no, X causes this issue, we need to do Y" and your CEO responds with "You're absolutely right! Here's how we will implement this new policy"

oh boy, another article about CEOs saying what “AI” could maybe do in the future. i’ll put this one in the pile with all the others

Yes, it can. Research even indicates it can. He isn't saying anything actually novel.

Research in question: https://hbr.org/2024/09/ai-can-mostly-outperform-human-ceos

So, rehashing old ideas as if they were new, making decent products worse but charging more, lacking expertise and in-depth knowledge, using layoffs instead of good financial planning?

AI guy wants his AI to run companies. Somehow, this is good for business and not a hostile control takeover by proxy.

I would love to see a study where they ask a 2024 AI for business decisions around things that happened in 2025. How much you want to bet it already can?

So, he practically says that being a CEO is trivial and mechanical.

How does that justify the insane pay then?

I agree AI could easily take on the role of the biggest dork in the company, which is largely what the CEO is.

It’s maybe the only job it should actually replace.

I still wouldn’t trust the current models with it. But tbh even the current models couldn’t be any worse than the current humans in the roles.

In a better timeline, if that becomes true, then bring on the UBI.

My quotes file for email signatures could replace most modern CEOs. The major qualifications are a cool name and being over six feet tall.

What do you mean? That would be horrible!

AI is great at pursuing the ideal you give it, in that case "make money", and finding all sorts of counterintuitive ways to pursue that ideal the best it can with complete disregard to anything else that could distract from it including humanity's interests and morality. It would destroy the planet just to make more money.. oh wait no nevermind now I see CEOs do that already.

Can’t wait for that AI dividend UBI check.

AI will manage company like it manage vending machines.

Well sure. CEOs' main job is to coordinate the functions of major business units with the wishes of shareholders/the board of directors. Ultimately they're a middleman on the hook for the results of the business without actual direct control of day to day operations.

Effectively that means they give broad goals and direction to named execs, who translate those goals into actions for their organizations, that middle managers direct their teams to achieve. Then middle managers report success/failure to named execs, who report back to the CEO who (in conjunction with the other named execs) reports success/failure to shareholders & the board along with financial results.

The execs all are basically on the hook for the results of the decisions made by those below them, but they only decide the broad strokes of the actions of the business.

LLMs could do most of that. The only problem is they can't really make decisions properly. But they could pretty easily turn what is said by the board & shareholders into goals for others to enact - and maybe determine if actions taken by the business support the goals to some degree.

That is like 80% of the job of a CEO.

As much as I like hating CEO's... Aren't small company CEO's included? I feel that at least some of those people risked it all to build a company so they really shouldn't be bundled in here...

Oh how the turns have tabled.

Pichai’s comments come as other tech CEOs have also predicted the coming of a new era of chief executive automations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman previously said AI will someday do his job better than him, adding, “I will be nothing but enthusiastic the day that happens.” Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of buy-now-pay-later firm Klarna, also said in a post on X earlier this year that “AI is capable of doing all our jobs, my own included.”

Yeah, I'm not surprised the wealthy person who owns the output of the AI tools and company is enthusiastic about his job being "replaced," since - as the owner and therefore spout of the AI value funnel - he now has to work even less to extract the value of hundreds or thousands of human lives.

Did anyone else, forced to use MS at work, wake up to an email from Sundar Pichai about the wonders of Copilot?

They are fucking desperate for anyone to take up on this garbage tech

Just like a broken clock shows the right time twice a day....

"Aw, sh*t. Half the country works for Brawndo. Not anymore! The stock has dropped to zero...

and the computer did that auto-layoff thing to everybody."

The only onstacle here is ethics, which the human CEOs already lack. So what are we waiting for?

He's not worried though, so we know where they stand on how good this 'AI' is.

This was the ironic outcome of the Twilight Zone episode The Brain Center at Whipple's ( @WP ): After the labor was replaced by automation, the upper management was easily so replaced.

At least he's honest, I guess. This time.

As soon as they fix the memory issue, sure. Otherwise it’s gonna be schizophrenic.

Maybe he's just Pichai is just really smart and trying to get the breaks slammed on the AI bubble before it pops.

Listen if this works the way you think it does, half the country is going to be out of work. CEO: but our company will make a lot of money right, someone else is going to do it eventually anyway.

OK, look if this works the way it is supposed to, we won't need you anymore!

Oh shit, hit the breaks, no more AI, it's all a bubble anyway.

The first thing a proper AI would do is solve the energy situation. Which will be allowed by 0 of the oil and energy industries. Solving that alone would reduce costs on EVERYTHING. Oligarchs would be out next. It's not going to happen.

Ffs just stop talking, dude.

If that happens I HOPE we can Use our TAX DOLLARS to make Sure CEOS can Continue their Extravagant Lifestyle!