The Emergence of Digital Human CEOs: A Conceptual Framework for Trust, Legitimacy, and Governance

The emergence of Digital Human CEOs marks a significant development in the relationship between artificial intelligence, organizational authority, and corporate governance. This article develops a conceptual framework to explain how Digital Human CEOs may acquire, or fail to acquire, legitimacy as organizational leaders. Drawing on anthropomorphism theory, social presence theory, and transportation theory, the paper proposes an integrated mechanism through which human likeness, perceived presence, and narrative engagement shape stakeholder trust and acceptance. The analysis argues that legitimacy in AI‐driven leadership does not depend on technical sophistication alone, but on the interaction between design realism, communicative effectiveness, transparency, and governance arrangements. Particular attention is given to the conditions under which trust may weaken, including excessive realism, limited explainability, cultural variation in authority expectations, and unresolved questions of accountability. The article also examines the governance implications of assigning executive authority to digitally embodied agents, emphasizing the need for clear oversight structures, auditable decision processes, and identifiable human responsibility. By clarifying the psychological and organizational pathways through which Digital Human CEOs may be evaluated, this paper contributes a structured basis for future empirical research while offering a governance‐oriented perspective on the responsible development of AI‐driven leadership.