Businesses need a director of AI productivity, not just a CAIO

Companies are debating who should make the most of generative AI — the CIO, a chief data officer, or a chief AI officer. Last year 60% of firms already had a CAIO and another 26% planned appointments. Some organisations, such as Thomson Reuters, choose not to create a CAIO: "No, we're not big on those kinds of things," Kirsty Roth said, while acknowledging that someone senior must manage demand for emerging technology.

Insurance firm Howden went a different route by creating a director of AI productivity. The specialist sits between the data organisation and IT to create a collaborative interface across the business. "These tools are new enough that we do need people to help with adoption," Barry Panayi said, describing the middle ground between IT-owned tooling and bespoke data models as "a build versus buy decision, with a sliver in the middle." Part of the role is to ensure enterprise-grade generative AI is used effectively.

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