Artificial intelligence will play a major role in the management team of the future

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AI, technology and data executives will gain more prominence in the C-suite over the next five years as technology adoption plans advance, a trend that reflects ongoing interest in generative AI in the enterprise.

Two out of five respondents down West Monroe survey released in June said the role of Chief AI Officer will become increasingly important over the next five years. It was the most popular option among 1,000 consulted professionals holding positions of director, vice president, senior vice president and above.

The second most popular job title was chief data or information officer, with 11% of respondents citing it as the most popular C-suite position.

Companies are aligning C-suite technology roles with their business strategy. But growth in specific roles, such as chief digital officer or AI, is often tied to organizational or technology maturity, according to Casey Foss, Sales Manager, West Monroe.

“We’re seeing organizations that five years ago had a chief digital officer in place as part of their preparation to respond to this physical and digital world, and the two are coming together to prepare their organizations,” Foss said. “Now, digital permeates every function and component, so that role is going away, but the need isn’t.”

As interest in AI grows, appointing an AI strategy lead sends a signal to the market and employees that the company plans to significantly invest in and implement the technology, Foss said.

CIOs continue to lead the way in AI

Despite the popularity of the title, most enterprises still entrust their CIOs with leading AI initiatives.

One quarter of an hour companies entrust technology to the CIO, although more than half companies have an AI chief or leader who oversees AI implementation, according to Gartner’s research 1800 directors published on June 26.

Gartner predicts that as technology continues to permeate enterprises, organizations will evolve their leadership strategies.

“Artificial intelligence and GenAI are complex and far-reaching, touching every task, activity and strategic conversation in an organization” Frances Karamouzis, Distinguished Vice President and Analyst at Gartner“This does not mean, however, that the individuals or team responsible for AI orchestration within an organization need to have a C-suite-level title,” the study said.

Foss believes another name will likely emerge in the next five years to allow companies to address new types of emerging technologies.

“I don’t think AI is going anywhere,” Foss said. “I think it’s going to become more digital, in the sense that it’s going to permeate every aspect of business.”