As just about any CIO who has watched a carefully planned AI strategy suddenly fall apart will attest, good intentions are no guarantee of success. Therefore, gaining strong control over AI plans is now a top key CIO priority. "This is why desired business outcomes and the contribution value of implementing AI should be assessed before creating an AI strategy," he observes in an online interview. "The strategy's accountable leaders -- typically the CIO, chief AI officer, or a designated AI strategy lead -- must possess the authority and mandate to align business, IT, and security teams," Stash says. "If your AI strategy doesn't make jobs easier or deliver measurable value quickly, it's just expensive window dressing."