Dive Brief:
- General Motors appointed its first chief AI officer Monday. Barak Turovsky will oversee the carmaker’s AI strategy, the company said in a statement to CIO Dive.
- Turovsky, who most recently served as VP of AI at Cisco, will report directly to Dave Richardson, SVP of software and services engineering. Turovsky has also held leadership roles at Google, SAP, Microsoft and other tech organizations.
- “It’s an incredible time to be part of GM’s transformative journey,” said Turovsky in a LinkedIn post. “I’m eager to contribute to the company’s innovation in applying AI to automotive technology.”
Dive Insight:
Businesses across industries are sharpening their approach to AI deployment. In the automotive sector, top brands are working to accelerate internal processes while adding the technology to its cars.
Volkswagen of America partnered with Google in September to enhance the vehicle owner experience with generative AI in its app, offering easier access to information. Toyota Motor Corporation deployed a system of AI agents to help store and share knowledge as part of its partnership with Microsoft.
Earlier this year, GM said it used AI to help identify ideal spots for electric vehicle charging stations. Data scientists at the automaker used predictive analytics and geospatial algorithms to evaluate traffic patterns and select locations.
In December 2024, the company shuttered its Cruise robotaxi unit, a move CEO Mary Barra said will represent $1 billion in annualized savings. Instead, the company will focus its autonomous driving strategy on personal vehicles, Barra said during a January earnings call.
In addition to the autonomous driving initiative, GM is working to infuse AI across its operations, using the technology to improve dealer order processes, enhance quality testing and pinpoint manufacturing issues.
The company is not alone in adding an AI chief. To guide enterprise efforts, more businesses created C-suite roles focused on AI last year. Despite the trend, AI is generally helmed by existing IT leadership.
One-quarter of organizations put the onus of AI ownership on the CIO, the most common leadership role to hold this position, according to a Gartner report. By contrast, just 16% said an AI-focused leader was primarily accountable for AI delivery.
Still, the number of large organizations with chief AI officers nearly doubled last year, according to an Altrata analysis of 35,000 public and private companies in the U.S.
