Will AI replace chief executives?

Part of the work, not the whole job. AI could take on about 34% of the working time in a typical chief executive job today. The other 66% still needs a person.

66% of the work still needs a person.

Needs a person: 66%A person checking AI: 17%AI alone: 17%

The bracket under the bar is the evidence range for the share AI could take on: 19 to 34%. One end comes from how well AI did each responsibility in real use, or a second rating where that isn't measured. The other is our figure, which also follows research across the industry.

31 responsibilities in a typical chief executive job. Median pay $213,990 a year in the U.S. (BLS, May 2025).

Still needs a person

  • Set organizational policies and objectives
  • Act as liaison between groups
  • Direct financial and budget activities
  • Set departmental responsibilities
  • Appoint and assign department leaders
  • Confer with boards and staff on issues AI helps

AI can do or help with

  • Direct business operations and strategy AI helps
  • Confer with boards and staff on issues AI helps
  • Review and approve staff reports AI helps
  • Prepare and present activity and budget reports AI helps
  • Analyze performance and recommend changes AI helps
  • Explain policies and regulations to others AI helps

The biggest responsibilities on each side, ranked by a person's time on the left. "AI helps" means AI takes on part of the work, or most of it with a person checking what it produces, so one can show on both sides. See all 31, with the reason for each and the cost of handing them to AI.

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Questions people ask

Will AI replace chief executives?

Part of the work, not the whole job. AI could take on about 34% of the working time in a typical chief executive job today. The other 66% still needs a person. That is a split of the work, not a forecast of jobs lost.

Which parts of the job can AI do?

The biggest ones AI can do or help with: direct business operations and strategy, confer with boards and staff on issues, review and approve staff reports, prepare and present activity and budget reports, analyze performance and recommend changes, explain policies and regulations to others.

Which parts still need a person?

The biggest ones: set organizational policies and objectives, act as liaison between groups, direct financial and budget activities, set departmental responsibilities, appoint and assign department leaders, confer with boards and staff on issues.

How is this measured?

The U.S. Department of Labor lists 31 responsibilities for this job (O*NET 31.0). Each is scored on 4 questions: can AI do it, does it get it right, must a person sign for it, and do people need to deal with a real person. The split is weighted by how much of the job each responsibility takes up. The evidence range for the share AI could take on is 19 to 34%. One end comes from how well AI did each responsibility in real use, or a second rating where that isn't measured. The other is our figure, which also follows research across the industry. Scores version 0.7.17, updated October 28, 2026.

Responsibilities from O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor). Pay from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025. Scores are calibrated to published research and updated every month. How it works.

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