Who manages AI strategy within French companies? For 23%, it’s a Chief AI Officer (CAIO), according to a study* by the IBM Institute for Business Value and the Dubai Future Foundation. While there are no official figures from professional bodies or public institutions, the study illustrates the emergence of a function that has stepped out of anonymity with the explosion of ChatGPT.
Who are these new C‑level executives? An analysis of their career paths reveals that 77% have experience in the data field and 70% were appointed from within the organization. To steer AI strategy, French CAIOs have access to many levers: 67% control the AI budget and 60% oversee AI skills development programs. They also benefit from a top-level sponsor, with 87% reporting support from their CEO and 90% from their EXCOM.
Despite this commitment, 53% of French companies report they are still at the pilot-project stage, with limited deployment. Finally, 37% of CAIOs in France mention the use of a hybrid model for AI operations.
While most CAIOs surveyed believe that the absence of measuring AI impact could slow their organization’s progress, 63% indicate they launch AI projects even without being able to immediately measure the effects. This uncertainty does not seem to dampen corporate ambitions, since 70% plan to appoint a CAIO within the next two years.
CAIO Indicator Comparison — France vs World
| Indicator | France | World |
|---|---|---|
| Organizations with a CAIO today | 23 % | 26 % |
| Organizations planning a CAIO within 2 years | 70 % | 66 % |
| CEO support for the CAIO | 87 % | 80 % |
| Executive committee support | 90 % | 79 % |
| CAIOs appointed internally | 70 % | 57 % |
| CAIOs controlling the AI budget | 67 % | 61 % |
| AI funding owners | 33 % | 23 % |
| Executive committee sponsorship | 53 % | 38 % |
| Upskilling / skills development leads | 60 % | 39 % |
| Experience in data | 77 % | 73 % |
| Experience in innovation | 60 % | 56 % |
| Experience in corporate strategy | 57 % | 57 % |
| Experience in operations | 40 % | 38 % |
| AI projects without complete metrics | 63 % | 68 % |
| Perceived risk without AI measurement | 77 % | 72 % |
| Organizations still in pilot stage | 53 % | 60 % |
| Adoption of a hybrid AI model | 37 % | 25 % |
* Methodology
The IBM Institute for Business Value (IBM IBV), in cooperation with Oxford Economics and the Dubai Future Foundation, conducted a cross-sectional survey gathering responses from more than 600 CAIOs or equivalents (30 in France) across 21 industries and 22 countries.
