In the fast-moving world of AI, a lot can change in a few days, let alone a year. Chief AI officers (CAIOs) across industries are feeling the whiplash pace of AI development and are facing new questions and challenges in their jobs. While the core of their role—to oversee the company’s AI development, internal AI usage, and overall strategy in the new AI landscape—remains the same, many CAIOs say that a lot of what they’re focused on has changed from a year ago to today. Now, they’re working with more mature AI tech, prioritizing business impact, and navigating the hype and exploration of AI agents.
“The chief AI officer is no longer just a technologist,” said Michelle Bonat, CAIO at AI Squared, which helps companies integrate AI models into their business applications. “They’re a business strategist with an AI toolkit. And our job is to not necessarily build models ourselves—although we may do that—it’s to really completely redesign the company, how it thinks, operates, and grows with a focus on AI.”
