If you’re going to pilot a new AI initiative and you could borrow talent from anywhere within your organization, who would you want on your dream team?

For Enterprise AI, I build the team based on two distinct distinct objectives.

First, to ensure viability, I bring in the governance functions like Risk, Legal, HR, and Security immediately. I want them involved from the start so they understand the mechanics of the pilot, rather than just acting as gatekeepers at the end.

Second, to ensure value, I focus on the rollout. Here, the dream team is a pairing of AI experts and business SMEs. You need the AI expert to explain the 'art of the possible' and the SME to provide the domain context. This collaboration is the only way to successfully map AI into the 'day in the life' of the workforce.

Start with the business owners - that's where AI will be having an impact. Include the tech teams. Exec sponsor from C-suite. Skilling lead. Culture lead. Change management lead. Finance/ROI lead.

CTO org, CDO/CIO org, relevant product team (assuming AI initiative is aimed at boosting revenue or service quality), and one mid-level foward-thinking, influnecial member of legal/compliance. Unless you are the product or business unit head to which most of the value and burden of the new AI initiative applies, get COO or Chief of Staff sponsorship to facilitate engaging and navigating internal stakeholders.

I would have:IT, legal, data privacy, and training representatives on my team.

Functional expertise from the impacted business area(s) should be included as well as Legal. Business line buy in is key as well as Legal spotting and resolving potential issues at the pilot stage.