When Crying Wolf
MidJourney; Curt Doty
Who should be in charge of AI within a Company?
I have been a disruptor for over 20 years. It is not easy nor fun. To embrace new technologies then evangelize within the company you work for makes you the least popular person. “You are crazy.” “Get out of my business.” “Stay in your swim lane.” These are the backlash comments I have heard in my career. To challenge the norm makes you the solitary figure crying wolf in the wilderness. Though as time passes, all the rantings do come true. It is hard to be first. It is hard to be Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) in Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Enter AI.
22% of firms are aggressively pursuing the integration of AI across a wide variety of technology products and business workflows.
33% of firms are engaging in limited implementation of AI.
45% of firms are still in the exploration phase. (CompTIA)
With a majority (75%) of workers using or playing around with AI, with or without their company’s consent and only 10% of companies creating an AI Policy (from a recent Microsoft and LinkedIn study), why is there this gap?
Mind the Gap. How can we close this gap? Where does the fault lie in AI Adoption? It clearly starts at the top. Indecision and fear still prevail in the C-Suite. Is the answer a new entry into the C-Suite? The Chief AI Officer? Maybe, but because the overlap and far reaching applications of AI extend into everyone’s swim lanes, don’t you think there will be territorial issues? The short-lived Chief Metaverse Officer did not end well.
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Other titles that have been explored are ‘Head of AI,’ Chief Philosophical Officer, and Chief Prompt Engineer (also on the decline). I was briefly a Creative Technologist within a huge company, but I did not have coding chops so the expectations were too high. The CCO looked at me only as tech, rather than a seasoned Creative Director (20 years at that point) who successfully launched innovative products. So how does a company give AI leaders a chance and the proper support to succeed? I don’t think it is sending an individual to all the AI conferences to party, drink and take selfies.
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A top-down approach implies that a top level exec should be in charge.
A bottom-up approach, or starting in the middle, suggests tapping into the 79% of the workforce who have taken the initiative to learn AI to create a groundswell of momentum through sharing and cross-team collaboration. This, layered with upskilling the rest of the staff through courses, workshops, and coaching from outside experts, or consultants.
Related Article: Embracing the Future
Who Leads? I believe it is HR. They are already dealing with the firing and hiring crisis that AI has wrought. They also have the relationships with the C-Suite, as well as all divisions. I recently spoke at a SHRM conference in New Mexico. Though there some minor tracks on AI, it came up in every other room. I recently moderated a panel at a Streaming Conference. Again, some minor tracks focusing on AI, but it was talked about in every other presentation. So, the implications and applications are far reaching. I have written quite a bit on HR being at the center of an AI Operation.
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HR’s new role could be setting up an internal and external panel/coalition of AI advisors. This should be inclusive of legal and ethical expertise. Curating this group would tap into a braintrust outside of normal workflows, thus eliminating corporate jealousy and having the exciting discussions that could transform the business.
Over the years, I have built marketing teams, designed newsrooms, re-organized creative agencies, analyzed workflows and pivoted many brands. This is a watershed moment across the spectrum. Now is the time to act. Let me know if I can help.
