The worlds first virtual CEO takes the reigns at a Chinese gaming company
Why should it be humans that run companies, especially when some of us are good at running those companies into the ground? Now it's AI and the robots turn.
Key takeaways
- Is this the end of the corner office as future virtual CEO's settle into more of a corner cabinet in the datacenter? The world is odd, and people are odder.
- According to the company's statement, Tang Yu will support decision-making during the company's daily operations and provide a more effective risk management system.
- NetDragon also acquired a 100 percent stake in the UK listed Promethean back in 2015.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2022) 'The worlds first virtual CEO takes the reigns at a Chinese gaming company', 311 Institute, 9 September. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/the-worlds-first-virtual-ceo-takes-the-reigns-at-a-chinese-gaming-company/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Is this the end of the corner office as future virtual CEO's settle into more of a corner cabinet in the datacenter? The world is odd, and people are odder. Following on from the appointment of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the board of directors at a Hong Kong hedge fund, and Amazon and Uber being sued because their AI’s have been firing people autonomously, the world of technology continues surprise. And that's before I talk about Fortune 50 CEO's immortalising themselves in digital form so they can run companies from beyond the grave ...
Now, after I and Jack Ma predicted ages that one day CEO's would be automated China based mobile game company NetDragon Websoft have announced that they’ve appointed an AI powered digital human – a “virtual human being” - as their CEO called "Tang Yu."
The Future of Work, by Keynote Matthew Griffin
The appointment was made on August 26 and the virtual CEO, Ms. Tang Yu started her position in the company’s principal subsidiary, Fujian NetDragon Websoft.
According to the company's statement, Tang Yu will support decision-making during the company's daily operations and provide a more effective risk management system. She will also be used as a real-time data center and analytics tool for the board, which unsurprisingly maker “her” a really weird kind of CEO.
Tang Yu's duties also include providing a fair working environment for the employees.
It would not make much sense to think of today's technology without AI, therefore, the founder of the company Dr. Dejian Liu, also emphasizes the importance of this spurt in the company.
"We believe AI is the future of corporate management, and our appointment of Ms. Tang Yu represents our commitment to truly embrace the use of AI to transform the way we operate our business and ultimately drive our future strategic growth," said Dr. Dejian Liu.
"Looking forward, we will continue to expand on our algorithms behind Tang Yu to build an open, interactive and highly transparent management model as we gradually transform to a metaverse based working community, which will enable us to attract a much broader base of talents worldwide and put us in a position to achieve bigger goals," he also added.
One of the most respected and well-known online game developers in China, NetDragon was founded in 1999 and has produced a number of popular games, including Eudemons Online, Heroes Evolved, Conquer Online, and Under Oath. With the management's goal to build the largest global online learning community and deliver real integrated blended learning solutions to every school in the world, NetDragon has also begun to scale its online education business in recent years.
In 2010, NetDragon Websoft began working in the field of education to create "the greatest learning community internationally." The company has also made several acquisitions in the areas of community and education, including the establishment of the UNT-NetDragon Digital Research Centre through a collaboration with the University of North Texas.
On July 3, 2017, NetDragon announced that it had acquired American educational software publisher JumpStart Games. NetDragon also acquired a 100 percent stake in the UK listed Promethean back in 2015.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Why should it be humans that run companies, especially when some of us are good at running those companies into the ground? Now it's AI and the robots turn.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- NetDragon Websoft netdragon.com
- the company's statement prnewswire.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 9 September 2022. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2022). The worlds first virtual CEO takes the reigns at a Chinese gaming company. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/the-worlds-first-virtual-ceo-takes-the-reigns-at-a-chinese-gaming-company/
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