Narwhal Labs says the move towards an AI-supported chief executive role is already underway, after reports suggested Mark Zuckerberg is exploring an AI “CEO” concept.
Luke Sartain, founder and CEO of the Bristol-based company, argued that the functional core of the role is becoming increasingly automatable as agentic systems improve. In his view, day-to-day executive work already contains a large volume of structured activity that AI can absorb, particularly where decisions depend on synthesising information, monitoring performance, and moving through repeatable workflows.
Sartain said: “AI can already handle a significant portion of what CEOs do day-to-day — synthesising data, monitoring performance, drafting communications, identifying risks, and running structured decision frameworks. Agentic AI systems are increasingly able to execute multi-step commercial workflows autonomously, without human prompting.”
The comments frame the debate around task substitution rather than total executive replacement. Sartain said: “The reality is that AI will replace most of the functional work of a CEO within the next decade. What it won’t replace is accountability, culture, and the kind of bold, conviction-driven bets that define great leadership.”
That distinction matters as businesses test agentic AI across planning, reporting, sales, customer operations, and internal communications. Narwhal Labs says it is developing autonomous AI systems designed to take over complex commercial decision-making, placing the company directly inside a market that is moving from assistance tools towards systems expected to act with greater independence.
Sartain’s final point shifts attention back to current leadership teams and how quickly they adapt. He said: “The real question isn’t whether AI can replace CEOs — it’s whether CEOs will adapt fast enough to stay relevant.”
For now, the debate remains unsettled. But commentary from businesses building autonomous decision systems suggests the language around AI in leadership has already moved beyond simple productivity tools and into the structure of executive work itself.
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