Will Avatars Turn Employees Into Surrogates In An AI Workforce?

Forbes

03-05-2025

Will Avatars Turn Employees Into Surrogates In An AI Workforce?
I've been playing around with a few online platforms that let you create an avatar of yourself that looks and sounds a lot like you. The one I tried most recently, VEED.IO, created a version of me where the mouth movements didn't quite match how I normally speak. It was basically my face, but the way the mouth moved gave it away. The voice was close, but not exact. Still, it reminded me of the Bruce Willis movie Surrogates. That film showed a world where people stayed home while sending robotic versions of themselves out to live their lives. We already have filters on Zoom that make us look less tired or smooth out a few wrinkles. But creating a video presence that speaks for us without us actually being there feels like a bigger shift. It raises some real questions, especially now that companies are experimenting with AI workforce tools that blur the line between showing up digitally and showing up in person.
How AI Workforce Technology Is Changing The Way Employees Show Up
Several platforms are pushing the limits of what is possible with AI avatars. With just a few clicks, someone can create a professional video of themselves delivering a message, hosting a training session, or participating in a meeting without ever being live. The message they deliver comes from a script that is just copied and pasted into the software, and then the avatar reads it. It's not unlike a video I saw of a complete standup routine that imitated George Carlin's voice and his style. His estate sued for that creation, but it's a different situation when we create avatars of ourselves.
It is easy to see the appeal. No more rushing to get camera ready for Zoom calls. No more worrying about lighting, background noise, or even your energy level. As AI workforce options expand, it becomes tempting to wonder if showing up personally is even necessary in every situation.
Why AI Workforce Solutions Are Appealing In A Remote Work Era
Remote work is not going away. In fact, many companies are embracing it more fully than ever. AI workforce solutions offer a way to stay visible and productive without the constant drain of live video appearances.
There are practical benefits. Employees who feel uncomfortable on camera might feel more confident sending an avatar. Teams can create consistent training content without repeating themselves. Leaders can appear across multiple meetings at once without ever leaving their office.
In a way, the rise of AI workforce tools feels like a natural next step in a world that is already blending digital and human experiences.
What AI Workforce Trends Could Mean For Trust And Authenticity
Even though the technology is impressive, it raises real questions about authenticity. If an AI avatar shows up for a meeting or delivers a message, how can you be sure the real person was involved?
In education, although not allowed, there have already been examples of online professors hiring others to teach courses under their names. Imagine how easy it would be to use AI workforce avatars to replicate a presence without any personal involvement.
How much trust might erode if we cannot tell whether we are interacting with a real colleague or just their digital twin.
How AI Workforce Innovations Raise New Questions About Responsibility
There is also the issue of responsibility. If an AI avatar says something inaccurate, misleading, or even offensive, who is accountable? Is it the employee, the company, or the technology provider?
As AI workforce innovations become more common, the lines could blur quickly. In fields like customer service, sales, and leadership communication, getting it wrong could have serious consequences.
The legal system has not fully caught up yet, leaving a lot of gray areas around what happens when avatars act on someone else's behalf. In the Carlin case, the lawsuit ended in a settlement, and the creators agreed to remove the content and stop using his likeness. It set an early precedent, but when people start creating avatars of themselves for work, it opens up a whole different category of questions the courts still haven't addressed.
Are AI Workforce Avatars Making Human Connection Harder To Build?
One thing to consider is the role imperfection plays in building trust. Live conversations are messy. People pause, stumble over words, laugh at unexpected moments, and show real emotion. Those small signs of humanity are part of what helps us connect.
If AI workforce avatars start replacing more human interactions, will we lose something important? A perfectly polished video presentation can deliver information, but can it create real relationships?
It is an open question, but it seems worth considering before we trade too much authenticity for convenience.
Real Companies Are Already Using AI Workforce Avatars
This may still feel futuristic, but some companies are already using AI avatars for real work. Synthesia is used by more than half of the Fortune 100, mostly for training videos and internal updates. BESTSELLER, a global fashion company, uses it to reach thousands of employees while cutting back on classroom time.
Other platforms like Hour One and Colossyan are being used to speed up everything from compliance videos to investor updates. Companies like HP, BMW, and Vodafone are already exploring these tools. Most current examples focus on communication and training, but with this kind of momentum, it's not hard to imagine how quickly that could expand into meetings, customer service, or even leadership messaging.
Even Zoom is experimenting with AI avatars. They are working on photorealistic avatar options that would let you record messages or participate in meetings asynchronously, which is something that takes all this to another level.
We are not talking about future tech anymore. These tools are here, and companies are already testing how far they can go.
What Companies Can Do To Prepare Now For An AI Workforce
Whether or not companies adopt AI avatars this year, it makes sense to start talking about what this kind of presence means. Is it okay to use an avatar in a team meeting? When is live participation required? What kind of training should be offered to help people use these tools responsibly?
Companies that begin defining expectations now will be in a better position later. It is easier to build trust when people know the rules and understand how these new tools fit into workplace culture.
Final Thoughts On Where The AI Workforce Might Take Us
The idea of outsourcing our real selves to technology is no longer just a movie plot. As AI workforce tools become more advanced and accessible, they are shaping the way businesses operate and how people show up professionally. There is no clear roadmap yet. Some companies will likely embrace AI workforce avatars quickly. Others will move more cautiously, trying to protect human connection wherever possible. As exciting as the technology is, I keep coming back to the same feeling I had when I first saw Surrogates. Just because we can send a version of ourselves into the world does not mean we always should. Maybe the real question is not whether avatars will become part of the AI workforce. It is how much of ourselves we are willing to hand over to them.