Organizations with a chief AI officer reported stronger return on investment (ROI) than organizations without dedicated oversight, according to the fourth annual report by Wharton Human-AI Research and research and analytics firm GBK Collective, released Tuesday. The report drew on a survey of more than 1,400 enterprise leaders and employees. It also found that half of companies using one approved, dedicated AI platform reported ROI, compared with 9% of companies still experimenting with multiple platforms.

Jeremy Korst, a Wharton lecturer, Mindspan Labs CEO and report co-author, told CIO Dive that a title or a single platform alone does not ensure success. He said returns depend on redesigning work and driving growth and innovation, which he said do not sit primarily in IT. Nearly 11% of Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies have a chief AI officer or equivalent, according to an August report that named Boeing, Eli Lilly and McDonald’s. Korst said dedicated responsibility matters more than whether the role has a particular title, and that companies reported better ROI when they created a new oversight position than when they added the work to an executive’s existing duties.

A May IBM survey of 2,000 CEOs suggested hybrid C-suite titles are common, while Korst said titles are spreading faster than dedicated roles. He said ROI-leading organizations may still test other tools for specific use cases, but the report’s data indicate they have chosen a primary platform partner. Korst advised giving AI leaders the resources and authority to settle platform choices early, build business relationships and anticipate technology needs. He said an AI officer without business support or a strong partnership with the CIO has a title but not a mandate for success.

Organizations with a chief AI officer reported stronger return on investment (ROI) than organizations without dedicated oversight, according to the fourth annual report by Wharton Human-AI Research and research and analytics firm GBK Collective, released Tuesday. The report drew on a survey of more than 1,400 enterprise leaders and employees. It also found that half of companies using one approved, dedicated AI platform reported ROI, compared with 9% of companies still experimenting with multiple platforms.

Jeremy Korst, a Wharton lecturer, Mindspan Labs CEO and report co-author, told CIO Dive that a title or a single platform alone does not ensure success. He said returns depend on redesigning work and driving growth and innovation, which he said do not sit primarily in IT. Nearly 11% of Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies have a chief AI officer or equivalent, according to an August report that named Boeing, Eli Lilly and McDonald’s. Korst said dedicated responsibility matters more than whether the role has a particular title, and that companies reported better ROI when they created a new oversight position than when they added the work to an executive’s existing duties.

A May IBM survey of 2,000 CEOs suggested hybrid C-suite titles are common, while Korst said titles are spreading faster than dedicated roles. He said ROI-leading organizations may still test other tools for specific use cases, but the report’s data indicate they have chosen a primary platform partner. Korst advised giving AI leaders the resources and authority to settle platform choices early, build business relationships and anticipate technology needs. He said an AI officer without business support or a strong partnership with the CIO has a title but not a mandate for success.