AC OBSERVATION

Dr. Anthony Chang

 

“In the past 2 years, some health systems have created a new role, the Chief Health AI Officer (CHAIO), to provide specialized leadership... As AI continues to advance in healthcare, the CHAIO’s role is likely to become increasingly critical for harnessing AI’s benefits while mitigating risks.”
— NEJM AI, 2024

 

Nearly ten years ago, I was honored to take on a role that didn’t formally exist in most healthcare organizations: Chief Intelligence (and Innovation) Officer. Without the word “artificial,” the title reflected my belief that true transformation in healthcare requires both artificial and human intelligence, working together.

Today, with AI’s role in healthcare accelerating, many institutions are now formalizing this leadership with the creation of Chief AI Officer (CAIO) roles. But what does it truly take to succeed in this position?

Who should lead AI in healthcare?

I’m frequently asked: What kind of candidate should fill the Chief AI Officer role? Based on a decade of experience, I believe strong leaders may come from three pathways:

1. Clinicians with deep knowledge of clinical informatics, IT infrastructure, and AI.
2. Data scientists with a dedicated focus on healthcare systems and patient impact.
3. “Bilingual” professionals—clinicians with advanced training in AI and data science. Though still rare, their numbers are growing.

Regardless of background, successful CAIOs share critical traits: systems-level thinking, collaborative leadership, ethical grounding, and a genuine passion for translating AI into real-world clinical impact.

What a Chief AI Officer actually does

The role of CAIO is far more than overseeing a few pilot projects. It’s about shaping an institution-wide AI strategy and ensuring responsible implementation aligned with patient care and operational goals. It means working closely with executive leadership, establishing governance frameworks, and creating multidisciplinary project teams that can execute effectively.

Equally essential is supporting education. At our hospital, we launched a monthly AI rotation for residents and fellows, something that became possible because we had a defined AI leadership structure.

Having a designated AI leader creates opportunities for national collaboration, project alignment, and shared learning.

The challenges we must acknowledge

As with other emerging leadership roles (Innovation, DEI, etc.), the CAIO position often faces outsized expectations paired with undersized resources. Health systems may assume the CAIO can "do it all", even when data infrastructure, governance, or organizational culture aren’t ready. And sometimes, the very presence of a CAIO can unintentionally discourage others from engaging in AI education or innovation themselves.

That’s why support from institutional leadership, and connection with peers, is essential for long-term success.

Join us: the first-ever Chief AI Officers gathering at AIMed25

As we approach AIMed25, it’s clear the time has come to formally bring this growing community together.

We are excited to host the inaugural gathering of Chief (Artificial) Intelligence Officers in healthcare during AIMed25 in San Diego, November 10–12, 2025. This will be a unique opportunity for early adopters, emerging leaders, and future CAIOs to connect, share insights, and shape the future of this role together.

We hope this lunch gathering becomes a cornerstone event where we can explore shared challenges, celebrate wins, and catalyze new collaborations across institutions.

If you’re already in a Chief AI Officer role, or are stepping into one, we warmly invite you to join us. Please reach out via gemma@ai-med.io, or message us on LinkedIn to express your interest.

Let’s build this community - together.

See you there!

- ACC