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Artificial intelligence is empowering Chief Information Officers (CIOs) to transition from primarily focusing on IT enablement to assuming more strategic leadership roles. Recognizing the immense potential of business data and AI’s ability to generate actionable insights, CIOs are increasingly tasked with integrating AI across the enterprise. While enterprise AI offers rapid processing capabilities, successful deployment demands robust data governance frameworks, AI response safeguards, and a skilled workforce. PwC’s Rani Radhakrishnan highlights data governance, ethical AI guardrails, and staffing as key challenges. Effective AI implementation necessitates a blend of technical proficiency and domain knowledge, emphasizing the importance of data sanitization, normalization, and annotation to foster responsible AI practices. As AI stewards, CIOs are now responsible for embedding AI within enterprise architecture, aligning AI initiatives with overarching business strategies, and proactively managing associated governance risks, signifying a fundamental shift in their core responsibilities.