Cailian Press, May 3 (Editor Zhao Hao) Although the 'Oracle of Omaha,' Warren Buffett, is no longer the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, he still made an appearance at the annual shareholders meeting in both 'physical and digital' forms.

Over the years, at Berkshire Hathaway's annual meetings, Buffett would engage in lengthy Q&A sessions with shareholders, covering topics ranging from company operations to geopolitics, and even his favorite foods, leaving no subject untouched.

At the 2026 annual meeting, the new CEO, Greg Abel, hosted this traditional session. However, the first question came from a familiar face — an image of 'Buffett' appeared on the large screen, dressed in his signature suit and tie.

"Hello everyone, my name is Warren, from Omaha," said the familiar, slightly raspy voice. "I have recently undergone — how shall I put it — a significant role change."

"My question is simple. I am 95 years old, and aside from time and Cherry Coke, I have nothing else. I want to know, so I can also tell other shareholders, why they should hold Berkshire Hathaway's stock for the long term?"

Amid laughter, Abel called it a 'very sharp question,' then elaborated on the strength of Berkshire's business and the importance of its substantial cash reserves.

Abel then told the live audience, "As you have already figured out, that was a deepfake image."

He added, "Interestingly, this was done entirely without Warren’s involvement. We simply used publicly available information to replicate his movements and voice."

Deepfake Buffett Source: Live Broadcast of the Shareholders' Meeting

In recent years, with the explosive development of generative artificial intelligence technology, deepfake technologies represented by 'AI face swapping' and 'AI voice alteration' are being widely exploited by criminals for telecom network fraud and other illegal activities.

Abel emphasized that deepfake technology highlights the rising risks of cyberattacks and misinformation faced by enterprises. 'This is a significant risk for Berkshire Hathaway, and we deal with it every day.'

Before the Q&A session, Abel stated that Berkshire Hathaway has maintained a conservative approach toward the use and management of artificial intelligence. 'AI must benefit our business. We will not adopt AI just for the sake of AI.'

AI needs to be restrained, while power generation needs to surge.

Abel noted that Berkshire Hathaway would deploy artificial intelligence in a narrowly scoped and value-creation-focused manner. He also mentioned that the company remains vigilant about the potential risks this technology poses to humanity.

On another topic, Abel highlighted the growth prospects of the energy business division, pointing out that with the rapid development of the AI industry, the energy sector is encountering new growth opportunities.

Currently, half of the energy companies under Berkshire Hathaway have started addressing AI-related electricity demands and continuously monitoring industry trends and the practical implementation space of these services.

Abel mentioned, 'Our peak load in Iowa, which represents the amount of energy consumed by these data centers, is expected by industry insiders to reach 5% to 10%. We have already achieved 8%, so we see an opportunity to increase it by 50% or even more within the next five years.'

Abel also emphasized that hyperscale cloud service providers must 'assume full responsibility for the energy they consume.' He stressed that the electricity costs of data centers should be separated from those of ordinary grid users, ensuring that the expenses are borne by the enterprises that actually consume the power.