Chief AI officer
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{{Short description|C-suite position}}A chief AI officer (CAIO), also known as chief artificial intelligence officer, is a senior executive position responsible for an organization's artificial intelligence strategy, implementation, and governance.{{Cite web |title=Chief AI officer: What it takes to land the C-suite's hottest new job |url=https://www.cio.com/article/657977/chief-ai-officer-what-it-takes-to-land-the-c-suites-hottest-new-job.html |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=CIO |language=en-US}} This business role emerged from the rapidly increasing deployment of AI technologies in business operations,{{Cite news |date=2018-01-01 |title=Artificial Intelligence for the Real World |url=https://hbr.org/2018/01/artificial-intelligence-for-the-real-world |access-date=2024-08-14 |work=Harvard Business Review |issn=0017-8012}} education, and government.{{Cite web |title=The EU AI Act and the Emergence of New Global Standards |url=https://www.eckerson.com/articles/the-eu-ai-act-and-the-emergence-of-new-global-standards |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=Eckerson Group}}
Origin
A CAIO is typically responsible for examining the short and long-term needs of an organization and guiding investments designed to help the organization reach its AI-related goals in support of larger business objectives.{{Cite web |last=Valente |first=Alla |date=2024-04-03 |title=The New Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Role Balances AI Champion And Risk Manager |url=https://www.forrester.com/blogs/the-new-chief-artificial-intelligence-officer-caio-role-balances-ai-champion-and-risk-manager/ |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=Forrester |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2024-08-12 |title=What Is a Chief AI Officer? |url=https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/chief-ai-officer |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=IBM |first1=Cole |last1=Stryker |language=en-us}} The CAIO is typically the highest AI executive position within a company and leads the AI, data analytics, or machine learning department.{{Cite news |last1=Fountaine |first1=Tim |last2=McCarthy |first2=Brian |last3=Saleh |first3=Tamim |date=2019-07-01 |title=Building the AI-Powered Organization |url=https://hbr.org/2019/07/building-the-ai-powered-organization |access-date=2024-08-14 |work=Harvard Business Review |issn=0017-8012}}
The roles and responsibilities of a CAIO can intersect, interoperate, or even overlap with other c-suite technology officers such as the chief data officer (CDO), chief information officer (CIO), chief technology officer (CTO), and chief information security officer (CISO).{{Cite web |title=CIO vs CTO: What's the difference? {{!}} McKinsey |url=https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-are-the-responsibilities-of-a-cio-versus-a-cto |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=www.mckinsey.com}} The exact content and reporting structure varies by organization, but the CAIO frequently reports to the CEO, COO, or CTO
History
The CAIO is a relatively new position, driven by advancements in AI technologies, especially following the resurgence of deep neural networks.{{Cite web |title=The evolving role of Chief Artificial Intelligence Officers - Power Shifter Digital |url=https://www.powershifter.com/blog/one-year-on---the-evolving-role-of-chief-artificial-intelligence-officers |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=www.powershifter.com |language=en}} This revival{{Cite journal |last=Francesconi |first=Enrico |date=2022-06-01 |title=The winter, the summer and the summer dream of artificial intelligence in law |journal=Artificial Intelligence and Law |language=en |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=147–161 |doi=10.1007/s10506-022-09309-8 |issn=1572-8382 |pmc=8811736 |pmid=35132296}} of AI can be dated to the end of the last AI winter, marked by the 2012 ImageNet competition.{{Cite web |title=ImageNet |url=https://image-net.org/ |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=image-net.org}} With the invention of the transformer architecture in 2017 and widespread public adoption of large language models via interfaces like ChatGPT in late 2022, AI investments and competition for computing resources and talent have risen rapidly.{{Cite news |first1=Hayden |last1=Field |last2=Leswing |first2=Kif |date=2024-03-30 |title=Generative AI 'FOMO' is driving tech heavyweights to invest billions of dollars in startups |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/30/fomo-drives-tech-heavyweights-to-invest-billions-in-generative-ai-.html |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=CNBC |language=en}}
According to LinkedIn data, the number of CAIO positions has about tripled in the last five years.{{Cite news |title=The rise of the chief AI officer |url=https://www.ft.com/content/4c5d823e-004b-4f00-9536-9fea93330453 |access-date=2024-08-14 |work=Financial Times |url-access=subscription}}{{Cite web |date=November 2023 |title=Future of Work Report: AI at Work |url=https://economicgraph.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/economicgraph/en-us/PDF/future-of-work-report-ai-november-2023.pdf |access-date=18 Oct 2024 |website=www.linkedin.com}}{{Cite web |last=Laker |first=Benjamin |title=Adapting To AI: Interesting Insights From LinkedIn On The Job Market |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/benjaminlaker/2023/11/21/adapting-to-ai-interesting-insights-from-linkedin-on-the-job-market/ |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=Forbes |language=en}} This highlights the growing acknowledgement of the strategic and competitive importance of integrating AI into business operations. A wide range of industries hired CAIOs at leading institutions. In healthcare alone, this includes largest organizations including GE Healthcare,{{Cite web |title=General Electric Healthcare revenue 2023 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/277734/revenue-for-general-electric-healthcare-segment-since-2008/ |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=Statista |language=en}} UnitedHealth, UCSF Health,{{Cite web |title=Budget {{!}} UC San Francisco |url=https://www.ucsf.edu/about/ucsf-budget |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=www.ucsf.edu |language=en}} UCSD Health,{{Cite web |title=Facts at a Glance |url=https://health.ucsd.edu/about-us/facts-glance/ |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=UC San Diego Health |language=en}} Mayo Clinic Arizona,{{Cite web |last=Hames |first=Marty Velasco |date=16 Jul 2024 |title=Mayo Clinic in Arizona ranked No. 1 hospital in Arizona for 12th consecutive year by US News & World Report |url=https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-in-arizona-ranked-no-1-hospital-in-arizona-for-12th-consecutive-year-by-us-news-world-report/ |access-date=18 Oct 2024 |website=www.mayoclinic.org/}} and Children's National Hospital.{{Cite web |last=Diaz |first=Naomi |date=2024-07-31 |title=Which health systems have chief AI officers? |url=https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/digital-health/which-health-systems-have-chief-ai-officers.html |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=www.beckershospitalreview.com |language=en-gb}}{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Amber |date=2023-07-19 |title=Top 10 Chief AI Officers |url=https://aimagazine.com/ai-strategy/top-10-chief-ai-officers |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=aimagazine.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Children's National Hospital ranked #5 in the nation on U.S. News & World Report's Best Children's Hospitals Honor Roll |url=https://www.childrensnational.org/about-us/newsroom/2023/usn2023 |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=Children's National Hospital |language=en}}
On March 28, 2024, in response to the US Whitehouse Executive Order #14110 on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence,{{Cite web |date=2023-10-30 |title=Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/10/30/executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence/ |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=The White House |language=en-US}} the US White House's Office of Management and Budget issued a memorandum mandating all US Executive departments and agencies appoint a Chief AI Officer (CAIO) within 60 days.{{Cite web |date=March 28, 2024 |title=Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/M-24-10-Advancing-Governance-Innovation-and-Risk-Management-for-Agency-Use-of-Artificial-Intelligence.pdf |access-date=August 14, 2024 |website=The US Whitehouse}} This mandate has been met with alacrity {{Cite web |date=2024-09-09 |title=Agencies have met all AI mandates for management and talent, watchdog says |url=https://www.nextgov.com/artificial-intelligence/2024/09/agencies-have-met-all-ai-executive-order-mandates-management-and-talent-watchdog-says/399391/ |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=Nextgov.com |language=en}} with the Chief AI Officer Council convening their first meeting in December 2023, well ahead of the March 2024 deadline.{{Cite web |title=OMB Issues First Governmentwide AI Policy |url=https://www.meritalk.com/articles/omb-issues-first-governmentwide-ai-policy/ |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=www.meritalk.com |language=en-US}} On April 19, 2024, Senator Gerry Connolly (D-VA) introduced the AI LEAD Act, which would expand upon hiring AI leadership beyond the EO #14110 and OMB memorandum.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-14 |title=Connolly, Garbarino Introduce Bill to Create Chief AI Officers at Every Federal Agency |url=https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5094 |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=U.S. Congressman Gerry Connolly |language=en}} Although the AI LEAD Act is still in committee as of mid-October 2024, it reflects widespread concern around AI legislation at both the federal{{Cite web |date=2024-09-18 |title=More Than 120 AI Bills Currently Processing in Congress |url=https://www.govtech.com/policy/more-than-120-ai-bills-currently-processing-in-congress |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=GovTech |language=en}} and state{{Cite web |title=Artificial Intelligence 2024 Legislation |url=https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/artificial-intelligence-2024-legislation |date=9 September 2024 |access-date=19 October 2024 |website=ncsl.org}} levels with a focus on AI leadership in government.