Fractional CAIO
Fractional Chief AI Officer (CAIO) Services
A part-time Chief AI Officer who sets your AI strategy and policy, then gets the use cases built.
01
What is a Chief AI Officer, and what is a fractional one?
A Chief AI Officer (CAIO), or chief artificial intelligence officer, is the executive responsible for how a company uses AI: which problems AI should solve, which tools and models to use, how data and risk are handled, and whether the AI in use is actually delivering results. Large enterprises and many governments now appoint one full time.
A fractional Chief AI Officer does the same job part time, typically a few days a month. It suits businesses that know AI matters but do not have the scale, or the certainty, to hire a full-time AI executive. Our fractional CAIO starts with an AI audit, writes an AI policy your staff can follow, and gets the first use cases live, then keeps leading as the programme grows. Because there is a build team behind the role, the use cases get built too: AI workflows, AI agents and chatbots and the data work underneath them. For wider technology leadership beyond AI, see our fractional CTO service.
02
What a fractional CAIO is responsible for
AI strategy
A short list of AI use cases ranked by value and effort, tied to goals the leadership team already has.
- Use case ranking
- Business case per use case
- Quarterly AI roadmap
AI policy and governance
Clear rules on which AI tools staff may use, with what data, and who approves new ones.
- Acceptable use policy
- Data handling rules
- Risk and approval process
Delivery of use cases
The first AI use cases built, launched with a person in the loop, and measured against a baseline.
- Hours saved
- Accuracy and override rates
- Adoption by team
Data readiness
The data foundations AI depends on: where data lives, how clean it is, and what to fix first.
- Data audit
- Quality fixes
- Access and security
Vendors and models
Independent choices between AI tools, platforms and model providers, with costs kept in view.
- Tool and model selection
- Build vs buy
- AI spend tracking
Training and change
Staff taught to use AI well and safely, so the tools are used after launch, not abandoned.
- Team workshops
- Prompting guides
- Champions in each team
03
Fractional CAIO vs AI consultant vs full-time Chief AI Officer
| Fractional CAIO | AI consultant | Full-time CAIO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement | Ongoing, a few days a month | A fixed project | Full-time executive |
| Owns AI outcomes | Yes, accountable over time | For the project only | Yes |
| Policy and governance | Writes and runs it | May recommend it | Writes and runs it |
| Builds use cases | Yes, through our team or yours | Sometimes | Through an in-house team |
| Cost | Monthly retainer | Project fee | Executive salary and benefits |
| Best for | Mid-sized businesses starting or scaling AI | A defined question, such as one use case | Large enterprises with a large AI programme |
If you have a single, well-defined AI question, our AI consulting service may be the better fit.
04
The first 90 days with a fractional CAIO
Days 1-30: AI audit and policy
Where AI can carry load in your business, how ready your data is, and an AI use policy staff can follow.
Days 31-60: first use cases live
Two or three AI workflows built and measured against how the work is done today.
Days 61-90: governance and scale
Model and vendor choices, a risk review, staff training and the roadmap for the next quarters.
Ongoing: run and extend
A monthly review of results, new use cases, and reporting to leadership or the board.
05
Fractional Chief AI Officer questions
What does a Chief AI Officer do?
What is a fractional Chief AI Officer?
Do we need a Chief AI Officer?
How is a fractional CAIO different from a fractional CTO?
How much does a fractional Chief AI Officer cost?
Is our data safe?
Get AI leadership without a full-time hire
Tell us where your business is with AI today and what you want from it. We will come back with how a fractional CAIO engagement would work for you.
A reply from a consultant, usually within one working day.
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