I've already mentioned data catalogs as one strategic tool. By necessity, they're provisioned by IT and data management teams, who know how to work with the various features in data catalog software and how to set up and deploy them. We can make a useful distinction between tools provisioned in this way by IT and tools adopted by end users. Both have an important role to play in a data strategy, complementing rather than contradicting each other. Data management tools are almost always the domain of IT.

Collectively, they create a huge asset for any AI team--diversity of thought. Ultimately, though, success with AI comes back to the foundation: data strategy. "You could have the best, most diverse talent in the world," says Dobrin, "but if you don't have a good strategy and have that first part nailed, you're likely not going to be adding value."