DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
As AI continues to transform nearly every industry , a new C-suite role has emerged – the Chief AI Officer ( CAIO ). The CAIO is responsible for overseeing an organisation ’ s AI strategy , implementation and governance , reflecting the growing importance and complexity of AI for modern businesses .
Businesses today are bullish on using generative AI ( Gen AI ) to disrupt , but research suggests that many are underestimating the requirements , with only a small proportion of respondents to a study by MIT saying they believe they have the right level of technology and other attributes such as funding , culture and skills to support its rapid adoption .
The rise of the CAIO is a response to the increasing adoption and business impact of AI technologies . AI is being used for everything from automating business processes to powering intelligent decisionmaking systems . However , deploying AI successfully requires coordinating across departments , managing AI risks and ethics and aligning AI initiatives with broader business objectives .
According to data from Foundry , this transformation is already underway . Eleven percent of medium to large organisations already have a designated CAIO or equivalent in the role , and 21 % of organisations are actively looking to hire one , joining leading tech companies such as Dell Technologies and SAP which have announced the appointment of CAIOs in recent months .
In February 2024 , SAP appointed Dr Philipp Herzig in the newly-created role of CAIO , with him set to oversee a new
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