Train, validate, tune and deploy generative AI, foundation models and machine learning capabilities with IBM watsonx.ai, a next-generation enterprise studio for AI builders. The CAIO is responsible for educating the rest of the organization and the broader community of external stakeholders on the company’s approach and vision for AI. The CAIO has an increasingly critical role as the spokesperson for all things related to AI, and today’s CAIOs frequently appear on podcasts and panels to elucidate the company’s position on AI-related issues. The CAIO helps to ensure that AI applications comply with ethical standards and regulatory requirements.

Implement the vision

This comprehensive study involved 1,500 C-suite executives from organizations across 16 industries and 12 countries, each with a minimum revenue of US$1 billion. The report revealed that 84% of these executives believe leveraging AI is essential to achieving their growth objectives. Without a CAIO, enterprises risk missing the full transformative potential of AI, and instead face fragmented, ungoverned, and ultimately less effective AI initiatives.

The right answer depends on the strategic importance and maturity of AI in your company.

• A chief AI officer is considered to be part of the C-suite executive team, whether they report to the CEO directly, or another top officer, Reeves says.
• A core part of a CAIO role is leading AI research and development efforts to explore new algorithms, techniques and technologies to develop and/or enhance the organization’s AI capabilities.
• They also play a pivotal role in promoting a culture of AI-driven innovation and knowledge dissemination.
• To date, many of these positions are with technology vendors or at government entities in the wake of recent AI mandates.
• That means having a deep understanding of various AI technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and, where applicable, robotics, Mathison says.

Several prominent Chief Executive Officer for AI product job companies across different sectors have appointed individuals to AI executive leadership roles, including GE HealthCare, UnitedHealth Group, Deloitte, Mayo Clinic, Dell Technologies, Intel Corporation and IBM Automation. Additionally, 65% of executives say they are in a role that has existed at their company for less than five years, according to a survey by executive search and management consulting firm Heidrick & Struggles. The respondents are responsible for a wide array of functions reporting to them, which include data science, engineering and machine learning. With 21% of companies looking to add a chief AI officer to their IT leadership team, it’s becoming clear that rising interest in AI is translating into a greater desire for leadership around the complexities of AI in the enterprise.

CAIO: Chief AI officer is the latest entrant into the C-suite

• Reinvent critical workflows and operations by adding AI to maximize experiences, real-time decision-making and business value.
• Accenture Federal Services, for example, promoted Denise Zheng to be its first chief AI officer in April after she\u2019d served as the company\u2019s global generative AI and ecosystem lead.
• Only time will tell whether this new C-suite role, the CAIO – which stands for Chief AI Officer – is a passing fad or a strategic, long-term necessity.
• So rather than rushing to fill a new boardroom chair, businesses would do better to take a breath and work out precisely what they want to achieve—and who’s best to do it.
• Their proficiency in collaboration, stakeholder engagement and driving transformation is essential for leading the organization toward a unified AI vision, especially when there may be reluctance or fear of change among employees.
• The ideal individual to assume this role should have much more than top technology and AI skills, says Colin Reeves, principal data and AI recruiter at ConSol Partners in Los Angeles.

But simply appointing a new member of C-Suite is no guarantee you’ll solve the challenges or reap the opportunities presented by AI or Web3. A well placed hire to get AI embedded in your company’s DNA can be the ticket to a fast, innovative approach. The CAIO not only leads strategy and execution, but also anchors the ethical compass with respect to the use of AI in an organization, aligning it with the company’s broader mission and objectives. But without knowing the extent to which AI is helping or hindering your company and team, the results will be anecdotal.

Roese said this will come in the form of savings, revenue, margin improvement, or significant changes in outcomes and result from having figured out through experimentation over the last two years how to use AI effectively. “We are seeing a lot of our customers right now, especially the more mature enterprise customers, making investments in chief AI officers,” he noted. As the firm’s attorney responsible for negotiating vendor contracts, McCreary addresses those issues at the contractual stage with a vendor. As a practicing attorney, he focuses on what skills are available and the quality and accuracy of the output. As CAIO and CSO, he focuses on the data that is shared, how it is used, and when it is destroyed. For example, will this person have responsibility for internal investments and external partnerships?

Baptist Health Medical Group  is a member of the AMA Health System Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine. Top CAIO candidates should also have a high-level view of AI technologies and capabilities, which is critical in knowing how to tie AI investments to drive transformation and achieve business goals. Despite not even existing just a few years ago, these new C-level positions are being filled not just at bleeding-edge startups but in more established enterprises, too.

Obviously, the role requires a deep technical understanding of AI and machine learning technologies. A CAIO is responsible for developing and executing an AI strategy to drive tangible business outcomes and enhance customer or user experiences. They will proactively search for AI innovation opportunities across various products, departments, and functions. Given the frantic pace of AI adoption in businesses, it’s time for managers and professionals to step up and ensure emerging technologies deliver value for the money spent. AI leaders will also need to ensure hasty implementations of AI do not take their businesses down an erroneous or even dangerous path. Models in development need to be made safe against AI-specific vulnerabilities, such as in the algorithm supply chain and the integrity of training data.

Prior to being named CEO of Intel Products, she was executive vice president and general manager of CCG. Holthaus has held a variety of management and leadership roles at Intel, including chief revenue officer and general manager of the Sales and Marketing Group, and lead of global CCG sales. Intel has named two senior leaders, David Zinsner and Michelle (MJ) Johnston Holthaus, as interim co-chief executive officers while the board of directors conducts a search for a new CEO. Frank Yeary, independent chair of the board of Intel, will become interim executive chair during the period of transition. A chief AI officer should effectively promote cultural and technical changes in an organization and bridge communication gaps between technical teams and senior management. Their proficiency in collaboration, stakeholder engagement and driving transformation is essential for leading the organization toward a unified AI vision, especially when there may be reluctance or fear of change among employees.

of enterprises using AI will deploy AI agents by 2025

Because of the newness of the role, many organizations are combining the CAIO role with another leadership position, including chief data officer and chief digital officer as well. Throughout Gelsinger’s tenure at Intel across a variety of roles, he has driven significant innovation and advanced not only the business but the broader global technology industry. A highly respected leader and skilled technologist, he has played an instrumental role in focusing on innovation while also creating a sense of urgency throughout the organization. Gelsinger began his career in 1979 at Intel, growing at the company to eventually become its first chief technology officer. In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, organizations are grappling with how best to harness its transformative power.