The rise of the chief AI officer (CAIO) in boardrooms worldwide reflects businesses' high hopes for AI-driven returns. However, the success of these initiatives hinges on the collaboration between the CAIO and the chief data officer (CDO), as AI's performance is directly tied to the quality of the data it uses.
IBM Vice President for Enterprise Transformation Ed Lovely emphasizes that 'the value of AI starts foundationally with data.' Yet, many organizations struggle with fragmented data ownership, where CDOs lack the authority to enforce standards and CAIOs struggle to access high-quality, shareable data. This disconnect is evident in IBM's 2025 CDO Study, which found that only 26% of CDOs are confident their data capabilities can support new AI-enabled revenue streams.
Despite these challenges, CEOs remain optimistic. IBM's 2026 CEO Study revealed that CEOs incorporating proprietary data into custom AI models expect 13% more revenue from new products and services by 2030. However, execution remains a hurdle. Last year's IBM CEO Study showed that only 25% of AI initiatives delivered expected ROI, and just 16% scaled enterprise-wide.
To overcome these issues, shared accountability between the CAIO and CDO is essential. Lovely advises that businesses must treat data as the foundation for revenue and ensure that AI initiatives have usable data to drive results. 'Having process ownership is step 1, and someone that understands the whole end-to-end workflow,' he noted, stressing the need for a data architecture that crosses functional boundaries.