Skip to main content

Roles

Why a role model is needed​

Without explicit role allocation, the AI function quickly becomes either a technical team that "deploys models," a project office that only collects statuses, or a center of expertise that advises but does not influence outcomes.

AI function role model: the director owns the layers of product portfolio, project office, infrastructure, and adoption

AI function role model: the director owns the layers of product portfolio, project office, infrastructure, and adoption

Key idea: the AI function manages not only AI solution development, but the entire system of how solutions appear, get adopted, and are used across the company.

For sustainable AI adoption, a company needs a layer that can simultaneously:

  • define AI adoption strategy, priorities, governance rules, budget, and resources;

  • intake and route AI ideas and identify processes where AI adoption will deliver the greatest impact;

  • drive initiatives through the business funnel and delivery to adoption and measurable outcome;

  • track impact and decide whether to scale or stop initiatives;

  • choose and deploy modern AI products and provide them with all necessary infrastructure;

  • ensure security, quality, and support of AI adoption;

  • train the business to use AI, foster a culture of use, and drive systematic adoption and quality demand.

The role model defines who owns each of these blocks.

Role model in detail​

STRATEGY

Director of the AI function

Primary focusWhich AI directions should the company develop to achieve managed business impact, not a chaotic set of pilots.

Scope of responsibility
  • AI adoption strategy
  • Link to company goals
  • Budget and resources
  • Governance rules
  • Proposals
  • Leadership reporting
Adjacent roles
  • Business leaders
  • AI function leads
Adjacent functions
  • Board of directors
  • Management board
  • C-level
Typical artifacts
  • AI strategy
  • Roadmap
  • Initiative portfolio
  • Prioritization rules
  • Operating model
  • Reporting

Minimal setup​

Five roles are five areas of responsibility, not five headcount. At the start, 2–3 people can cover them:

  • Director of the AI function — usually an existing C-level (COO, CTO, or CDO).

  • Products + training and adoption — one person responsible for value and demand.

  • Project office + infrastructure — one person responsible for delivery and technical feasibility.

The key is that no area of responsibility is left unowned. As the portfolio grows, the roles split out: the project office is usually separated first, then infrastructure and products.

How roles interact​

Example initiative route​

Important principle: roles must not blur​

A typical AI function failure mode is role blur.

For example:

  • the infrastructure team starts choosing business priorities;

  • project managers start owning product strategy;

  • product leads own adoption but lack delivery resources;

  • training becomes one-off lectures instead of systematic adoption;

  • the AI director manually runs every initiative instead of managing strategy and priorities.

The right model works differently:

  • the director manages strategy and priorities;

  • product owns capability and applicability;

  • projects own initiative implementation;

  • infrastructure owns technical feasibility;

  • training owns demand, adoption, and usage culture.

How the AI Conveyor platform helps each role​

Last updated on