With so many discrete applications, generative AI remains amorphous, which makes the appointment of a lone overseer of strategy seem premature, said Oleg Korenfeld, CMI Media Group’s chief technology officer.
Still, companies appear to be heading in the direction of these roles. As of June, nearly 170,000 open jobs in the U.S. called for AI skills—3,575 of which asked specifically for skills pertaining to generative AI, according to Adzuna data cited by CNBC.
And just because a company, such as CMI Media Group, dismisses the need for such a position today, does not mean it won’t in the future.
“Down the line, there needs to be a leader to connect all these dots,” Korenfeld said.
Generative AI, just not in name
Despite the small but eager cohort in the professional services sector of marketing, most traditional advertisers are not yet sold on appointing a generative AI-specific role.
The time is too soon to appoint such positions, said Keith Johnston, VP and group director at Forrester Research. Moreover, carving out a dedicated title to generative AI could not only be premature, but also counterproductive to early efforts.
Some of R/GA’s clients have only just begun to entertain the idea of this kind of appointment, without any formal plans for following through, said Nick Coronges, executive VP and global chief technology officer. R/GA itself is not currently considering the creation of such a position.
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Neither is Wunderman Thompson, according to Alex Steer, global chief data officer, nor are any of its clients to his knowledge. However, Steer said that he is seeing brands and agencies move people into new roles leading generative AI strategy, just without any reference to the technology in the title.
Refraining from using the term “generative AI” in a