Companies create position for head of artificial intelligence – 04/14/2024 – Tech

As boards grapple with the opportunities and risks brought by generative artificial intelligence, companies are making room for a new role in their schedule: AI director.

The number of businesses with a role designated as head of AI has almost tripled globally in the last five years, according to social network LinkedIn. Fawad Bajwa, AI lead at recruitment firm Russell Reynolds Associates, has seen “the landscape change” since the launch of ChatGPT.

The job’s popularity surge was even greater last month, when the White House announced that federal agencies should designate AI chiefs “to ensure accountability, leadership and oversight” of the technology. However, the role’s responsibilities are still being defined — and with the rise and fall of job titles being a constant in corporate life, it may not remain relevant forever.

CAIOs, as they are called, oversee the implementation of AI and generative AI within an organization: improving workforce efficiency, identifying new sources of revenue, and mitigating ethical and security risks.

The role requires a “deep understanding of AI technology, machine learning, data science and analytics,” says David Mathison, who founded the first AI Bosses Summit last year. However, candidates also “need to understand legal issues” and change management; many come from leadership roles in data, risk management and compliance.

The rise of these professionals comes amid a fierce battle for expertise in AI more broadly, with even relatively junior engineers at cutting-edge companies commanding seven-figure salaries.

“It’s harder to recruit than ever,” Bajwa says of the role of head of AI. “There is a small pool of talent that is being [procurado] by many contractors.” However, CAIOs are not necessarily recruited from the same pool as those in cutting-edge technology — nor are they on the highest salary list.

Tom Hurd, CEO of Zeki, which tracks science hiring, says technologists typically come from university AI labs, then work with large, resource-rich technology companies to turn ideas into products, informed by “knowledge deep and intense interest in how to further develop AI.”

CAIOs, on the other hand, tend to have degrees in computer science and business administration. “They lead transformation and outreach inside and outside a company. It’s more about governance, socialization of technology,” says Hurd.

Ryan Bulkoski, global head of the artificial intelligence, data and analytics practice at executive recruiting firm Heidrick & Struggles, agrees. “There is a lot more administration [e] meetings involved, the closer you get to the business.” Specialists tend not to move from research-oriented areas to a business role, he says. A CAIO role offers exposure to the corporate side of technology, but takes away “from publishing, research applied and to be consistently at the forefront”.

Lan Guan, CAIO at Accenture, says his work is “multidisciplinary, requiring a combination of robust technical knowledge and sharp business acumen in fields as diverse as AI and machine learning, computer science, statistics, data analytics, ethics, compliance regulatory and industry-specific expertise.” Technology, she estimates, is “probably only 35-40 percent” of the work — she leads Accenture’s Center for Advanced AI, which develops products for clients. “Having training in strategy and the ability to manage uncertainty, [bem como] Addressing potential trade-offs is super important.”

The focus means that CAIOs are sought after not just in technology but across industries, and especially among financial, healthcare and consumer groups, says Bajwa, although the oil and gas and heavy industry sectors are lagging behind.

Some CAIOs report to the chief executive officer or chief operating officer; others to the chief technology officer, such as Daniel Hulme, who took the role at WPP after his company Satalia, which creates AI products and consulting services, was bought by the advertising group almost three years ago.

As part of a dual role continuing to lead Satalia, his job is to identify ways in which AI can help create content for WPP. One initiative trains technology on customer and third-party data — including elements like tone of voice — to predict how consumers will receive campaigns. Hulme works closely with WPP’s chief technology officer, but advocates a dedicated AI role to stay ahead of its rapid advancement. “This requires someone to ensure they stay on the cutting edge, to understand implementation, to enhance offerings to customers and the workforce to see how they can enhance human creativity.”

Accenture’s Guan says part of the role is to evangelize the technology, dispelling some of the “fear and anxiety” about AI. She oversees the implementation of workshops and demonstrations, for example, showing financial analysts how to use AI to generate balance sheets. “I’m clearly an AI optimist,” she says. “It’s super important for people to try — you can’t just stand on the sidelines and watch people cook. That experimentation is super important.” So is identifying influencers in the organization who “are actively talking about the benefits and lessons learned. Amplifying the narrative, bringing the technology to life. This is a cultural shift, not just a technical conversation — it’s a people conversation.”

Jeff Boudreau, CAIO at Dell, also says his role is to reassure. Some employees feel especially vulnerable, worried that their jobs will disappear. Hulme says he encourages employees to develop expertise so they can ask “better questions about AI,” seeing it not as a threat to jobs but as a help to workers. “The thing I talk to teams about is the roles that haven’t been created yet.” However, what underpins this is increased efficiency. “I joke that we’re moving from head of AI to head of productivity,” says Boudreau.

Professionals must also manage expectations, however. “When I talk to some board members and executive committee members at other companies, their aspirations and what technology can do are not aligned. That’s why the voice of [CAIO] It’s so important — to educate them.”

And the job is not just to evangelize, but to manage the negative aspects of technology, including legal compliance and risk. “We constantly revisit [ética]”, says Guan, as well as “disinformation [e] confidentiality”.

Is the CAIO role here to stay? It’s one of several positions that have increased demand: Chief revenue officer and chief growth officer roles have also become popular in recent years. But not all senior positions remain. Following the Black Lives Matter protests, many companies have rushed to recruit chief diversity officers, but the political backlash has seen declining support for the role.

Harrick Vin, chief technology officer at Tata Consultancy Services, does not believe a separate CAIO role is necessary. “It’s not about having one person and one job title. Every role — whether it’s sales, marketing or software engineering — is being redefined by leveraging AI.” Like innovation, AI is “everyone’s business. One person cannot be an expert.”

However, there needs to be one person in charge, regardless of their title, says Vin. “The real transformation needs to be decentralized, but the operation needs to be centralized. This is not a one-time transformation. Machines will get better and better. As they become smarter, more opportunities will open up. It’s like driving a continuous transformation. “

According to research firm Gartner, responsibility for AI generally still largely lies in the domain of the chief technology officer and chief information officer, who respectively lead AI initiatives in 23% of organizations. Foundry reports that only 21% of companies have plans to create a CAIO position, although this feeling is greater among respondents in the healthcare (35%) and education (33%) areas.

CAIO summit founder Mathison believes the role will remain relevant, adapting to technology and becoming available to smaller companies through fractional part-time positions. “It will level the playing field,” he says.

However, Boudreau believes the position has an expiration date. “I believe that if I do my job well, the position should go away.”