You might never have heard of AI startup Markup AI or its CEO Matt Blumberg. But the billionaire investor has become one of the company’s newest advisors—and it’s all thanks to AI.
Late last year, Blumberg faced a problem common to many leaders: he desired sharper feedback than his board of directors could consistently provide. After all, they are mostly limited to their own experiences and aren’t available around the clock.
So, Blumberg made the decision to create his own.
Collaborating with his executive team, the CEO of Markup AI developed what he refers to as a “fantasy board of directors”—a group of AI-generated thought partners designed to challenge his thinking on demand.
After narrowing down a list of well-known individuals in and outside the business sphere, Blumberg and his team settled on 15 names, including Buffett, [name], and the late [name].
And already, the AI board has helped him save hours by generating new ideas, offering feedback on business proposals, and getting ready for meetings with actual board members.
The ‘fantasy board of directors’ was created in just an hour—and using it to operate at ‘warp speed’
To construct the fantasy board, Blumberg used a combination of [tools] to craft 5,000-word profiles for each individual. The profiles were trained on public domain materials—with the aim of enabling the AI to address issues in a manner similar to real board members—based on how those business leaders perceived leadership, governance, and performance.
“As a CEO guiding a company’s strategy and execution, any extra inputs, learnings, and challenges enhance my work,” Blumberg told [publication]—noting that in the fast-paced AI landscape, the fantasy board provides immediate, on-demand insights that traditional board meetings sometimes can’t offer.
He stated that creating the fantasy board took no more than an hour or two and is an “incredible supplementary tool” for everything from preparing for human board meetings to drafting internal projects.
“I’ll say things like: Hey, I’m preparing a presentation for our kickoff meeting next week. What do you think are the top three themes I should focus on?” he told [interviewer].
He also asked the AI to provide him with a performance review for 2025, which he said it “aced” by identifying his appropriate strengths and issues.
Presently, Blumberg is using the technology to get ready for his annual employee kickoff meeting and board meeting. But, like with any AI, he stressed that it’s not flawless.
“With any AI agents, you have to be very cautious not to take the nonsense seriously. They’re predictive, and they’re good, but not perfect. They’re not human, and they miss many cues.”
Companies such as [company] and Klarna are wholeheartedly embracing AI
Blumberg’s experiment is part of a larger effort by companies to integrate AI directly into executive decision-making and corporate governance.
Last week, JPMorgan Chase [action] with proxy advisory firms [firms] and Glass Lewis, instead relying on an internal AI-powered voting platform called Proxy IQ to guide shareholder decisions. This move highlighted how deeply AI tools are starting to penetrate.
Other CEOs have taken the technology a step further—sometimes by virtually inserting themselves into the process.
CEO Eric Yuan [action] on an earnings call last year as an AI-generated avatar, delivering initial pre-written remarks in his voice and appearance.
“I’m proud to be among the first CEOs to use an avatar in an earnings call,” Yuan’s avatar stated. “It’s just one example of how Zoom is pushing the limits of communication and collaboration.”
This followed Klarna CEO [action] conducting a similar launch of an AI-generated video replica on an earnings call. The fintech company has also launched a 24/7 “AI CEO Hotline” that responds to customer inquiries in Siemiatkowski’s conversational style, both in English and Swedish.
However, for Blumberg, the technology isn’t about replacement—it’s about enhancement. He stated that his actual board of directors hasn’t shown concern about being replaced in the near future.
“They saw the fantasy board the same way I do, which is that it’s a great addition, a form of enhancement to thought partnership,” he told BI. “But it’ll never be a replacement for a real board.”