With generative AI gaining momentum over the past year and a half, it has sparked a new debate about the necessity of a Chief AI Officer in enterprises. “Do you really need an AI chief officer, we asked.” 

Many experts that AIM spoke to believe that companies without a chief AI officer are less likely to succeed in the long run and may fall prey to the ongoing AI hype, losing significant money. Notably, several companies from the West, including Snowflake, Deloitte, Accenture, SAP, Intel, and Dell, have already appointed chief AI officers, in short CAIOs. 

Even the US government has prioritised the role, with the White House recently instructing federal agencies to appoint chief AI officers. 

“AI is incredibly transformative, and it will be over the next decade,” said  Baris Gultekin, head of AI at Snowflake, in an exclusive interview with AIM. He said that all businesses will have an AI strategy connected to their data strategy. 

On the contrary, many argue that existing leadership, like the CTO (chief technology officer) or CIO (chief information officer), can handle AI strategy alongside their current roles, especially in the early stages of AI adoption. 

“I believe a chief AI officer is necessary for a large-scale firm,” avered Krishna Rastogi, CTO of Machine Hack. “let’s say with an employee size greater than 1000+, especially if their business demands it.” 

He said for small firms, the role of the AI officer can be handled by the CTO. 

According to a recent report by Gartner, while some enterprises may opt for a ‘chief AI officer,’ a ‘head of AI’ is enough for most to integrate AI into business strategy. The report added that currently about 46% of accountability for AI initiatives is shared between the CTO and CIO.

So, what is the point of a chief AI officer then? “While the CTO is responsible for overseeing an organisation’s overall technology strategy and infrastructure, the CAIO’s primary responsibility is to identify opportunities for AI deployment, develop an AI strategy aligned with business goals, and oversee the execution of AI initiatives,” said Sachin S Panicker, Chief AI Officer, Fulcrum Digital Inc. 

Simply put, the CAIO oversees the development and implementation of AI projects across the company. This could involve collaborating with data scientists, engineers, and other technical teams. They might also manage partnerships with external AI vendors.

Panicker told AIM that CAIO can establish AI governance frameworks, ethical guidelines, and policies to promote responsible and transparent AI usage within the enterprise. 

He said, “They can spearhead AI talent acquisition, retention, and development by hiring data scientists, ML engineers, and AI specialists while also upskilling existing employees in AI technologies.”

However, he added that whether an enterprise needs a dedicated CAIO depends on several factors, such as the organisation’s size, industry, AI maturity, and strategic focus on AI. 

AIM paid close attention (not stalking) to Lan Guan’s LinkedIn profile. She is currently the chief AI officer at Accenture. A closer look at her profile revealed that she advises cross-industry C-suite clients to develop and implement data and AI strategies and products with the strategic goal of helping them grow in the new era of Generative AI.

She told FT that her role is “multidisciplinary, requiring a blend of robust technical knowledge and sharp business insight across fields [as diverse] as AI and machine learning, computer science, statistics, data analytics, ethics, regulatory compliance, and industry-specific expertise.”

Similarly, another look at Jeff Boudreau’s LinkedIn profile shows that he is the chief AI Officer at Dell. In his profile, he wrote that he is responsible for leading Dell’s Center for AI Innovation and that he is Dell Technologies’ first-ever chief AI officer. 

“My team and I are focused on shaping Dell’s AI strategy and policies, building relevant AI partnerships, and championing the next generation of secure and ethical AI and GenAI technologies.” read his job description.  

CISO is all you need 

Now that you know the need and requirements for a chief AI officer. It also becomes important to have a chief informational security officer, once the AI strategy is in place, who can guarantee the safety of generative AI tools within the organisation. The challenges posed by generative AI have become a significant headache for SaaS security teams.

According to a recent Salesforce study, more than half of GenAI adopters use unapproved tools at work. The research found that despite GenAI’s benefits, a lack of clearly defined policies around its use may put businesses at risk. 

Most likely, CISO roles are also changing with generative AI. 

“We definitely need a chief AI security officer,” said Prasanna Naik, co-founder of CloudEagle, saying that when his customers explore a new AI tool, the chief informational security officer (CISO) is the first person they call in to check. 

According to Naik, “What is this AI application? What access does it have? Have our engineers or marketing people put data into this AI tool that they were not supposed to and exposed our assets?” are the most common questions customers ask.

Further, he said that not every company is going to be an AI company. “If a company is providing a particular service or platform and doesn’t have much data to train on, what will an AI officer do?” he pondered and said: “Just for the sake of launching AI, if you have an AI officer, it won’t work.”