Do I Need to Show Up Anymore? When AI Avatars Replace the Executive
I've watched the Veo 3 demos from Google, and I’ll be honest, they're keeping me up at night. Not because the tech isn’t jaw-dropping (it is), but because I’m asking myself a slightly unnerving question:
Do I actually need to record another video podcast.. or could my AI avatar just take over from here?
Right now, Veo 3 can already churn out broadcast-quality 4K video with perfectly synced audio. The lighting looks like it came out of a Hollywood studio, the physics are spot on, and the lip-sync is uncanny. For the average person, we’re basically at “indistinguishable from professional production” levels.
Which leads to the slightly terrifying thought: my team could spin up a webinar featuring “me” while I’m sat in a café in Venice. Same voice. Same mannerisms. Same insights. Years of my content used to train a digital me. Would anyone even notice the difference?
The Reality Check
Before we pack up the studio and hand the keys to the AI, let’s ground this. Veo 3 is capped at 8 seconds right now. We’re not replacing hour-long podcasts yet. But those limitations are temporary. Google’s roadmap pretty much guarantees longer formats soon. The tech isn’t the barrier anymore. The real question is authenticity.
Fast-Forward 12 Months
By this time next year, I’d bet we’ll see AI avatars running entire 30-minute presentations without blinking (with actual blinking). Higher fidelity, more nuanced, emotional expression baked in. We’re moving from “cool tech demo” territory to “ready for production” faster than most people realise.
The Awkward Question: Should We?
I’ll admit, part of me is genuinely excited about the productivity boost. Imagine scaling your thought leadership to every channel without burning hours in the studio. Your insights amplified by AI efficiency.
But there’s a cost. When audiences connect with a leader, they’re connecting with the rough edges as much as the polish. The slight pause before answering something tough. The spark of passion that isn’t scripted. The live thinking that happens in the moment.
That’s the bit an AI, at least for now, can’t fake.
The Bigger Picture
Are we on the verge of optimising ourselves out of our own content? If an AI can deliver my message better, slicker, and faster than I can.. then what’s left that’s genuinely, unmistakably me?
I don’t have the answer yet. But I’m certain of this: the executives who figure out how to use AI avatars without losing the human connection are going to win big.
This technology is going to change content creation whether we’re ready or not. The only choice we have is whether we use it to amplify our humanity, or quietly replace it.
So, here’s my question to you: would you watch a webinar if you knew the speaker wasn’t actually there?
P.S. This really was written by me.. For now…
P.P.S. That really isn’t me in the photos