Levi's Hires Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer

Levi's has hired its first artificial intelligence (AI) officer. Katia Walsh, who was most recently Vodafone's chief data and analytics officer, will begin her tenure at Levi's on April 29. According to a company statement, Walsh will focus on building "data, analytics and artificial intelligence enablers" that will strengthen the company's present and future business ventures. Levi's hasn't been more specific than that, but it's a safe bet Walsh will tap her expertise to build on the AI efforts specifically -- and the digital advances in general -- Levi's has made in recent years. Total Retail's Take: Quite the departure for the 146-year-old denim brand, but this is a sign of the times in the retail industry as technology plays an ever-increasing role.