Many companies are ditching the chief AI officer model after it repeatedly falls short. The problem? The CAIO role is too broad and often out of sync with what organizations actually need.
The issue started when firms hoped a single exec could steer all AI efforts. Soon after, it became clear this siloed approach wasn’t cutting it. The better play is a distributed leadership model. That means sharing AI responsibilities across top execs and departments.
CEOs are crucial here. They need to be hands-on, driving strategy and pushing an innovation mindset company-wide. Successful AI leadership pulls together three types of roles: builders (those who create AI), operators (those who run it), and strategists (those who plan its use). 
Companies should focus on practical experimentation, tight cross-team coordination, and crystal-clear communication. AI can’t just live in one role or unit. It needs to be embedded as a core capability across the entire business.
No single CAIO can do that solo. The future of AI leadership is shared.
