AI Innovator & Practitioner, C-Suite & Board Advisor, LinkedIn Top AI Voice | Taking AI from potential to profitable reality
The hot new job: "Head of AI" But what should a head of AI know and do? What makes an ideal candidate? The article below provides a nice overview of some of the key considerations. I think we'll also increasingly see "Head of AI Transformation" titles to indicate that this goes well beyond the application of AI tech. To me, the best fit for "Head of AI" positions will be individuals who are quite technical but equally fluent in the language of business value, execution, and strategy. Unicorn Wishlist Top 10: - Has built models hands-on and understands the meaning behind the five-dollar technical terms (but doesn't have to be a PhD-grade, NeurIPS-presenting code wizard) - Can make a compelling, Hollywood-grade pitch for a capability, solution, project, and even a 2-week data science sprint - Has good proficiency in enabling technologies like cloud and on-premise platforms, MLOps, LLMOps, data engineering - Can set the governance and risk-management agenda - Knows how to communicate with people across the hierarchy and technical knowledge spectrum - Has strong commercial instincts, ideally some enterprise sales experience - Is adept at eliciting unstated needs - Has a finely tuned BS detector for vendor and partner conversations - Feels passionate about making things elegantly simple without drifting into the simplistic - Enjoys leading people #HeadofAI #AIJobs #EnterpriseAI #AIStrategy https://lnkd.in/egyEFqGF
Joydeep Guha
7mo
I am surprised it’s not Caio, Chief AI Officer..
This is definitely a unicorn! How many folks are out there that have actually operationalized a true AI/ML pipeline? I'd venture to say not many. Also, I agree that they need to be technical but also have business acumen. A lot of the challenge is getting the business itself to embrace change. AI is not just a technical effort but also a cultural and operational change. This is where I have seen a lot of projects stall out. Thanks for sharing. I love your thinking!
Tod McKenna
7mo
🦾
This is wonderfully pertinent and helpful, Bjorn Austraat. Thank you!
Chris Simpkins
7mo
I have talked to quite a few AI vendors. Here is the simplest easiest way to sniff out BS. If I only give vendor 100 records…can they prove their AI works. For example, if I gave Google GMAIL 100 emails. I’m pretty sure they could identify the SPAM because the model is trained and deployed and works. But Most AI vendors are just looking for your data to build the AI and/or improve it. So, keep a small HIPAA complient deidentified data set from 2022. Hold back 2023 data as the answer key for whatever the model claims it can predict. And make sure you know the difference between Accuracy, Precision and Sensitivity.
Ludwig Sickert
7mo
I definitely agree with point number three. Designing all the systems around your model is such an important part of any AI project that as head of AI, you absolutely need to be able to hold conversations about those systems too, because, depending on the size of your company, your department will either be required to build them too, or, at least, you will have to communicate with other people about your needs for those systems such as data formats, resiliency, and performance.
Very nice list. As this field is continuously evolving, I would add and likely put at the very top: lives and breathes continuous learning and is able to excite others to embrace it as well. Also, the amount and significance of hands on qualifications is going to shift significantly towards the people&management side of things the larger the organization and the AI team is.
That's what it ought to be but as always it will be at variance with what actually gets done
You will not go to a dentist whose only qualification is MBA with experience in getting dental treatment only, similarly it would be stupid to get an AI head who has only heard the buzz about AI but knows nothing about it.
Enterprise Sales Director - Global Technology Consulting, Contingent Workforce and Technology Project Services
7moI loved the finely tuned BS detector 👏