CIOs set the stage for an AI initiative, but they don't own it

CIOs may start an AI initiative, but they don't necessarily own it, according to Zeus Kerravala, founder and principal analyst at ZK Research. Instead, AI project ownership quickly spreads throughout an organization -- to sales, marketing, the business and even HR, said Kerravala at the recent AI World in Boston. Nonetheless, the role of the CIO in an AI initiative is substantial because they are responsible for addressing how to integrate AI in ways that augment -- rather than replace -- human work and convincing the CEO and the board of AI's business value, he said. Who within an organization should own an AI initiative? Zeus Kerravala: The ownership of AI in a company is a bit of a strange question because there's no one owner.