CAIO: Why companies will need chief AI officers

Businesses are figuring out how to navigate changes from generative artificial intelligence. At the heart of this tech adoption are chief AI officers (CAIO). 

They strategize how their companies can accelerate and coordinate the latest tech while considering how AI can further its other goals. 

READ: How to become an AI professional

DELL Technologies says almost 20% of organizations in its survey have said they have a central team for tech adoption. Soon, CAIOs will help lead more companies.

Let’s learn how they will do so.

What does a CAIO do?

Artificial intelligence business solutions firm Eye for AI wrote on LinkedIn, “A CAIO ensures that AI is not just a tech tool.”

It should be “a transformative force that enhances operations and customer experiences while complying with ethical standards.”

IBM shared more details about the chief AI officer’s responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: A CAIO develops the AI strategy to further business goals and digital transformation. This involves identifying ways artificial intelligence can add value like improving operational efficiencies.
• Technology Oversight: The chief AI officer oversees the implementation of the AI strategy to ensure the company uses the right tools for the most valuable use cases. 
• Team Management: The CAIO leads and builds a company’s AI team, which typically includes data scientists and machine learning engineers. The group should have experts with the necessary skills to successfully execute a company’s AI initiatives. 
• Ethics, Governance and Compliance: The CAIO makes sure AI applications follow ethical standards and regulations. 
• Advocacy and Education: The chief AI officer educates other internal staff and external stakeholders on the company’s approach and vision for artificial intelligence.

The most important reason why companies need a CAIO is because there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to adopting artificial intelligence. 

DELL Technologies says applications that may work for one organization may not work for others.

For example, not every generative AI use case will require the same infrastructure investment and some will have varying cloud computing requirements.

Nevertheless, more companies worldwide will have chief AI officers or similar roles as the United States started the practice.

DELL reported that the US government required federal agencies to have CAIOs, and two-thirds of these organizations have done so.

Check out this Inquirer Tech report to learn more about AI’s impact on multiple industries.