Target has named Lowe’s executive Chandhu Nair as its first chief AI officer, starting August 24. IBM research puts the share of organisations with a chief AI officer at 76% this year, up from 26% in 2025. Target has appointed its first chief AI officer. Chandhu Nair joins from Lowe’s on August 24 as senior vice president and chief AI officer. IBM’s Institute for Business Value found that 76% of organisations it surveyed had a chief AI officer in 2026, up from 26% a year earlier, and that those with one reported 5% higher returns on their AI spending.