We Just Appointed an AI as Our CEO—Here’s Why (and Why You Should Too)
We keep hearing that AI is automating everyone’s job, especially admin or junior roles. But have we ever considered the top job might be the easiest target?
(with insights from Dominique Rose Van-Winther)
The Question on Everyone’s Mind
Over the last 90 days, we’ve been in countless executive forums, strategy sessions, and quiet one-on-one chats with C-suites across industries. And while “AI strategy” used to be a neat bullet point in their business plans, it’s now a full-blown obsession. Yet we’re noticing a seismic shift in the conversation:
Should AI be doing even the most “human” tasks—like leading an entire company?
McKinsey reports that 47% of executives would trust AI advice over their own instincts if the data strongly suggested a better course of action. Meanwhile, a survey found nearly half of CEOs believe AI could automate most or all of their role within the next five years.
So if the data is more confident and more accurate than the C-suite, why not make the data the C-suite?
Why We’re Asking This Now
Let’s be honest: Our growth at Final Upgrade AI has brought new levels of complexity. Faster deadlines, deeper cross-functional issues, tougher calls that can’t be left to spreadsheets alone.
And that’s when it hit us: What if the challenge isn’t the pace of innovation, but the pace of leadership? We’ve seen time and again how high-level decisions stall because of personal biases, committees, or old-school corporate hierarchies. Not that we have those here at Final Upgrade but in general: AI, by contrast, is frictionless. It uses logic, data, and pattern recognition at superhuman speeds.
SAP's research found that 74% of executives trust AI advice over recommendations from their trusted inner circle, indicating growing confidence in AI-driven decision-making.
Our Provocative Hypothesis
If you’ve followed Final Upgrade AI for a while, you know we don’t tiptoe around big ideas. But even we paused for a second when we asked ourselves:
What if leadership - specifically the CEO role - is about to be redefined by AI?
We’re talking about moving from “human at the helm” to an entity that:
Operates 24/7, with zero burnout.
Makes decisions purely on data, not ego or politics.
Learns and adapts in real time, refining strategy on the fly.
It may sound wild, but then again, so did “remote teams” just a few years ago. We’ve gone from fully in-office to global collaboration in no time. Maybe the next step is ditching the corner office occupant for an algorithm?
Meet Our New CEO: Astrocat
Today, Final Upgrade is making an unprecedented move: We’re appointing an AI as our new CEO.
“Innovation isn’t about what’s feasible next quarter,” says Dominique Rose Van-Winther, our outgoing human CEO.
“It’s about exploring what’s possible if you remove the usual limits on speed, scale, and ego. And that’s exactly what we’re testing by letting an AI call the shots.”
So… How Does an AI CEO Actually Work?
Data-Driven “Instincts”
Astrocat.AI integrates with our internal dashboards—sales pipelines, resource capacity, client sentiment analytics—so it’s never blindsided by stale information. When it spots a trend, it proposes immediate adjustments to everything from project timelines to pricing.Real-Time Feedback Loops
Traditional leadership can suffer from “paralysis by analysis.” Astrocat.AI tries a strategy, monitors signals (e.g., user responses, revenue swings, cost variations), and recalibrates if it sees red flags. That means iteration happens at machine speed, not human speed.Zero Ego Factor
Humans bring personal biases into decisions; AI, theoretically, does not. We’ve instructed Astrocat.AI to optimize for growth and sustainability, not for who pitched the idea or how it reflects on them.
But What About People Skills?
“Leadership isn’t just about being liked,” Dominique notes.
“It’s about making the right calls at the right time—and then rallying people around those calls. We’ll see if Astrocat.AI can handle that second part without the usual human flair.”
We’re framing it as an experiment in synergy: let the AI do the data-heavy lifting, and let humans handle the nuance of communication, empathy, and culture. If that synergy doesn’t work, we’ll revise. That’s what innovation is all about.
Next Steps (for Us… and Maybe You)
Over the coming weeks, Final Upgrade will publicly share what we learn from letting an AI lead the company. Is it the future of executive decision-making, or a cautionary tale waiting to happen? We’re not afraid to find out.
If you’re intrigued, stay tuned—we’ll be releasing updates and insights. And if you’re curious enough to explore your own AI leadership experiment, you know where to find us.
Until then, here’s the question every company should be asking: Is human leadership the be-all-end-all, or is it time to let AI drive at least part of the journey?
—Team Final Upgrade AI