In March 2024, the White House announced a groundbreaking mandate: all federal agencies in the US must appoint a Chief AI Officer (CAIO). This directive is set to create approximately 100 new CAIO positions by the end of May 2024. Artificial intelligence (AI), once a futuristic concept, has now become a transformative force reshaping industries and government operations. As AI continues to evolve, the role of CAIOs has grown increasingly crucial in guiding organizations through this technological revolution. These leaders are not merely implementing AI solutions; they are also ensuring their ethical and responsible use, striking a delicate balance between innovation and risk management.
In 2024, several AI officers have distinguished themselves through their significant contributions and leadership in the field. These pioneering individuals are at the forefront of AI integration, driving efficiencies, enhancing productivity, and fostering innovation across various sectors. Here are some of the top AI officers to watch in the U.S. this year:
Lan Guan
Company: Accenture
Lan Guan serves as the Chief AI Officer at Accenture, a global professional services company. In this role, she advises cross-industry C-suite clients on developing and implementing data and AI strategies, with a focus on leveraging AI to drive enterprise reinvention and growth, particularly in the new era of Generative AI. Under her leadership, Accenture has made significant strides in AI utilization, including a $3 billion investment over three years to expand its AI capabilities. The company aims to double its AI-trained workforce to 80,000 through hiring, acquisitions, and training. Accenture has also developed over 300 internal applications using generative AI and established a Center for Advanced AI to maximize the value of this technology across clients and within the organization.
Eric Hysen
Company: U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Eric Hysen serves as the first Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO) in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Appointed as CAIO in September 2023, Hysen is responsible for aligning DHS’s Information Technology resources, overseeing IT security and infrastructure, and promoting AI innovation and safety within the department. With a background in computer science from Harvard University and experience at Google and the U.S. Digital Service, Hysen brings valuable expertise to these roles. Under his leadership, DHS has implemented new AI policies, established an Artificial Intelligence Task Force, and committed to responsible AI adoption while ensuring compliance with privacy and civil rights standards. His dual position places him at the forefront of technological innovation and AI integration within this critical government agency.
David Salvagnini
Company: NASA
David Salvagnini serves as NASA’s Chief Data Officer and the agency’s first Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, roles he assumed in June 2023. With over 20 years of experience in technology leadership from the intelligence community, Salvagnini is responsible for shaping NASA’s strategic vision for AI, promoting innovation, and ensuring responsible AI use. His dual role focuses on leveraging AI to enhance NASA’s mission capabilities, from analyzing Earth science imagery to managing communications with the Perseverance Mars rover. Salvagnini’s leadership aims to keep NASA at the forefront of AI technology, ensuring its applications benefit both space exploration and humanity as a whole.
Kelly Trindel, PhD
Company: Workday
Kelly Trindel, PhD serves as the Chief Responsible AI Officer at Workday, a leading provider of enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources. In this role, she leads Workday’s AI governance program, focusing on developing innovative and trustworthy AI and machine learning products that benefit customers and positively impact society. Trindel oversees a cross-disciplinary team of data and social scientists and technology experts who develop and maintain Responsible AI governance principles, policies, and processes at Workday. With over 15 years of experience in social and quantitative science, civil rights, public policy, and AI ethics, Trindel has been a pioneer in the responsible AI movement. She previously testified before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on AI matters in 2016 and led one of the federal government’s first task forces on ethical AI. At Workday, she established the Machine Learning Trust Program and works to ensure AI solutions are developed with integrity, transparency, and fairness. Trindel’s leadership is instrumental in shaping Workday’s approach to responsible AI, helping the company navigate the evolving regulatory landscape while fostering innovation that aligns with ethical principles.
Andrew Chin
Company: AllianceBernstein
Andrew Chin has been appointed as AllianceBernstein’s first Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, a role announced on July 1, 2024. With over 27 years of experience at AllianceBernstein, Chin brings a wealth of knowledge to this new position. Previously serving as Head of Investment Solutions and Sciences and a member of the firm’s Operating Committee, Chin’s new role focuses on amplifying AllianceBernstein’s AI capabilities to deliver better outcomes for clients. His appointment reflects the $757 billion asset manager’s commitment to leveraging AI technology for competitive advantage. Chin’s background includes roles as Chief Risk Officer and Head of Quantitative Research, demonstrating his expertise in risk management and quantitative analysis. He holds a BA in math and computer science and an MBA in finance from Cornell University, where he also serves as an adjunct professor.
Nitzan Mekel-Bobrov, Ph.D.
Company: AllianceBernstein
Nitzan Mekel-Bobrov, Ph.D., serves as eBay’s Chief AI Officer, a role he has held since 2021. In this position, he leads the company’s vision and strategy for leveraging AI to enhance user experiences for both buyers and sellers. Mekel-Bobrov has been instrumental in developing an AI-first culture at eBay, launching the Office of Responsible AI to ensure ethical AI practices. His initiatives include AI tools that simplify product listings, enable 3D imaging, and improve search results through natural language processing. With a background in computational genomics and extensive experience in AI leadership across various industries, Mekel-Bobrov is recognized for keeping eBay at the forefront of AI innovation and driving significant business growth through advanced AI technologies.
Parminder Bhatia
Company: GE HealthCare
Parminder “Parry” Bhatia serves as the Chief AI Officer at GE HealthCare, a role he assumed in April 2023. With a background in computational science and engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, Bhatia brings extensive experience in AI and machine learning to his position. Prior to joining GE HealthCare, he worked at Amazon for six years, where he led initiatives in machine learning, generative AI, and healthcare-specific AI services. At GE HealthCare, Bhatia is responsible for integrating AI into medical devices, improving patient care, and enhancing operational efficiency. His focus includes leveraging AI and cloud computing to democratize healthcare, with particular emphasis on oncology, cardiology, and neurology. Bhatia’s leadership aims to accelerate innovation in healthcare technology, streamline clinical workflows, and develop user-centric AI tools that redefine how medical professionals interact with technology.
Joe Atkinson
Company: PwC
Joe Atkinson serves as the Global Chief AI Officer at PwC, where he is responsible for overseeing the firm’s AI strategy and implementation. Appointed to this role to drive PwC’s digital transformation, Atkinson focuses on integrating AI technologies to enhance client services and internal operations. Under his leadership, PwC has committed to significant investments in AI, including a $1 billion initiative to incorporate generative AI across its services. Atkinson emphasizes the importance of human judgment in AI applications, advocating for responsible AI practices that ensure ethical and effective use of technology. His role includes educating and upskilling PwC’s workforce to navigate and thrive in an AI-driven future, ensuring that AI advancements are leveraged to support both business growth and societal benefits.
Shawn Wang
Company: Elevance Health
Shawn Wang serves as the Chief AI Officer at Elevance Health, where he is responsible for operationalizing AI and machine learning solutions to enhance healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. Appointed in 2021, Wang leads initiatives to integrate AI into various aspects of the healthcare system, including simplifying complex processes, personalizing patient care, and improving operational efficiency. Under his leadership, Elevance Health has leveraged generative AI to interpret vast amounts of health data, providing personalized care recommendations and streamlining administrative tasks. Wang emphasizes the importance of responsible AI practices, focusing on privacy, security, accountability, and health equity to build trust among consumers and healthcare providers.
Namit Sureka
Company: Straive
Namit Sureka serves as the President and Chief Analytics & AI Officer at Straive, a position he assumed in April 2023. With over 18 years of experience in advanced analytics and consulting, Sureka leads Straive’s AI and analytics initiatives, focusing on delivering innovative data-driven solutions to Fortune 500 companies. In his role, he oversees the development and implementation of AI-powered tools and methodologies to enhance Straive’s content technology solutions across various domains, including EdTech, research content, and data/information services. Sureka’s leadership is instrumental in Straive’s efforts to operationalize the Data → Insights → Knowledge → AI value chain for clients worldwide. His expertise contributes significantly to Straive’s position as a leader in providing technology-driven data and AI solutions in the global market.
Elena Ikonomovska
Company: Mnemonic, Inc
Elena Ikonomovska serves as the Co-Founder, CEO, and Chief AI Officer at Mnemonic, Inc., a company specializing in NFT data and intelligence APIs. With a Ph.D. in Machine Learning from the Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Ikonomovska brings extensive expertise in AI and data science to her role. She co-founded Mnemonic in 2021, leveraging her experience from previous positions at companies like Change.org, Reddit, and Google. Under her leadership, Mnemonic focuses on providing comprehensive NFT data, analytics, and insights to help developers and enterprises create Web3 products. Ikonomovska’s work at Mnemonic involves integrating AI technologies to solve complex challenges in the blockchain and NFT space, aiming to empower organizations to thrive in Web3 by offering a holistic view of customer interactions across traditional and emerging digital channels.
Chiru B
Company: Arhasi, AI with Integrity
Chiru B serves as the Chief AI Officer at Arhasi, AI with Integrity, a Frisco-based AI and data startup. With over 15 years of experience in digital concept, product, and business development, Chiru brings extensive expertise to his role. At Arhasi, he leads the company’s efforts in delivering operational readiness for GenAI applications through integrity assurance. Chiru’s background includes pioneering Australia’s first cloud-computing platform, spearheading Deloitte’s AI Financial Forecasting platform, and contributing to the Cloudera Director platform. He has also provided strategic consultation to Google, enhancing their Data Governance services. Under Chiru’s leadership, Arhasi focuses on developing AI solutions with a strong emphasis on transparency, security, and governance, aligning with regulatory requirements such as the US White House Executive Order and European AI Regulations.
Luther Birdzell
Company: Krista
Luther Birdzell serves as the Chief AI Officer at Krista, a role he has held since June 2021. With over 20 years of experience in technology product and services businesses, Birdzell focuses on integrating people, systems, and AI to enable effective process automation. He is passionate about creating high ROI on AI investments and has been instrumental in developing Krista’s natural language processing-based platform, which helps businesses integrate AI into their processes to improve outcomes. Birdzell’s expertise spans AI strategy and adoption, and he has a proven track record of optimizing capital allocation in various industries. His leadership at Krista aims to break down the complexity of AI and machine learning models, making them accessible and beneficial for organizations of all sizes.
Rashmi Misra
Company: Analog Devices
Rashmi Misra serves as the Chief AI Officer at Analog Devices, a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing. Appointed in 2024, Misra leverages her extensive experience in developing AI ecosystems to drive innovation and productivity within the company. Prior to joining Analog Devices, she held key positions at Microsoft, where she led AI, data, and emerging technologies initiatives. With a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Exeter and an MBA from the University of Warwick, Misra’s expertise spans AI, machine learning, and business development. At Analog Devices, she focuses on integrating AI to unlock innovation, enhance engineering and manufacturing productivity, and develop advanced products and solutions for the Intelligent Edge.
Alex Jaimes, Ph.D
Company: Dataminr
Alex Jaimes, Ph.D. serves as the Chief AI Officer at Dataminr, a leading AI company specializing in real-time event and risk detection. With extensive experience in AI and machine learning, Jaimes leads Dataminr’s AI initiatives, overseeing the development and implementation of advanced AI technologies. Under his leadership, Dataminr has pioneered multi-modal fusion AI, integrating text, image, video, and sensor data across multiple languages. Jaimes has been instrumental in incorporating Large Language Models (LLMs) and multi-modal foundation models into Dataminr’s AI platform, driving innovations in both predictive and generative AI. His work has contributed to Dataminr’s recognition in the Forbes AI 50 and its consistent ranking in the Forbes Cloud 100. Jaimes also holds a position as a Visiting Professor at Cornell Tech, further solidifying his expertise in the field of artificial intelligence.
Vishwajeet Uddanwadiker
Company: Boeing
Vishwajeet Uddanwadiker serves as the Chief AI Officer at Boeing, a role he assumed in March 2024. With over two decades of experience in IT leadership, data science, and aerospace safety analytics, Uddanwadiker is responsible for driving AI and machine learning applications across the company. His previous positions at Boeing include Vice President of Aerospace Safety Analytics and Safety Experience, and Chief Engineer for Generative AI. In these roles, he focused on leveraging AI and data analytics to enhance safety management systems for Boeing’s products and services. Uddanwadiker’s expertise spans developing AI platforms, creating reusable models, and establishing governance approaches for responsible AI use. His appointment underscores Boeing’s commitment to harnessing AI to drive innovation and maintain its position as a leader in the aerospace industry.
Andy Quick
Company: Entergy
Andy Quick serves as the Chief AI Officer at Entergy, a leading energy company. Appointed in 2024, Quick brings over 28 years of experience in creative technology and the utility business to his role. His career at Entergy includes positions such as Vice President of Business Data and Insights, where he led enterprise data analytics to support strategic decision-making, and Director of Automation, where he spearheaded the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) program. Quick’s academic contributions include teaching RPA fundamentals as an Adjunct Instructor at the University of New Orleans and Tulane University. With a background that includes international consulting at Accenture, Quick holds an MBA from Tulane University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Louisiana State University. As Chief AI Officer, he is tasked with leveraging AI technologies to drive innovation, enhance efficiency, and meet the evolving needs of Entergy and its customers, underscoring the company’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies for sustainable growth.