Artificial Intelligence and the Ceo’s Personal Brand: Opportunities, Risks, and Paradoxes

Purpose: This study explores the opportunities and risks of using artificial intelligence (AI) in building a CEO’s personal brand. Design/methodology/approach: The research was exploratory and based on twelve in-depth interviews (IDIs) with CEOs from various industries and company sizes in Poland, conducted between October 2024 and February 2025. Findings: The analysis indicates ambivalent CEO attitudes towards AI use in the process of building their personal brand. Specifically, these tools are perceived by CEOs as support in content creation, communication planning, and decision-making, but at the same time raise concerns about loss of authenticity, credibility, and image abuse (e.g., deepfakes). As authenticity remains a foundational element of a leader’s personal brand and a key factor in building trust with their audience, these tensions highlight the importance of taking an ethically grounded approach to integrating AI. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation is the small and non-representative sample. Future studies should include more CEOs from different industries and compare gender perspectives. Audience views on CEO authenticity also deserve further exploration. Practical implications: CEOs should stay personally involved in shaping their personal brand. Authenticity and credibility are essential for maintaining stakeholder trust. The research highlights the need for a cautious and intentional use of AI in personal branding. Organizations should establish clear guidelines to ensure transparency and reduce risks such as deepfakes or content homogenization. Social implications: The research draws attention to the role of CEOs as public figures shaping social trust. It highlights the societal value of authenticity and responsibility in leadership communication. The findings may inform norms and expectations around transparent and ethical self-presentation in business. Originality/value: This is one of the first studies to examine AI's role in CEO personal branding. It provides a comprehensive overview of emerging opportunities, risks, and paradoxes, emphasizing the ethical challenges and the need for intentional technology use to sustain trust and leadership influence in the age of generative AI.