The CTO vs. CMO AI power struggle – who should really be in charge?

A CTO and a CMO walk into a bar.

The bartender goes…

Who am I kidding? A CTO and CMO would never walk into a bar together. They’re too busy arguing about who should be in charge of the company’s AI initiatives. 🤭

In today’s article, aside from the best dad jokes you’ll read all day 😏, we’re diving headfirst into the question of who should lead AI in your company.

Is it your CTO, CMO, or our mystery guest who’s about to pop out of the shadows like a novel or your favorite reality show?

Dun dun duuuuuuunnnnnnn! 😱

Also: Want to win in the age of AI? You can either build it or build your business with it

If you’re new to my work, my name is Lester, but feel free to call me Les. I’m an award-winning performance marketer and chairman of a group of DTC brands, so trust me when I say that what I’m sharing today has been tested and debated frequently in our organization.

By the way, if you’re looking for practical and helpful AI tips and tricks, sign up for my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I share what’s actually working in business today, along with marketing insights and trends I’m seeing that move the needle.

But enough about me. Let’s find out who should be running AI in your organization. 💪

Spoiler alert: My recommendation isn’t what you think.

Understanding the landscape

I’m not going to bore you with “AI is taking over the world,” blah, blah, blah. But it’s worth mentioning that the global AI market is projected to grow from $757.58 billion in 2025 to $3.6 trillion by 2034 (that’s trillion with a T), with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.20% during this period. Based on these stats from Precedence Research, it’s clear AI is a huge deal and will play a significant role in any organization. 🚀

Also: How to avoid the AI complexity trap

Our approach to AI is simple: It’s about “doing it with me” rather than “doing it for me.” Especially with customer-facing tasks, business is about people, and it’s a good idea to treat the people who give you money with respect and not pawn them off to a machine.

With that in mind, we no longer see AI as just tech but as a business strategy. The person you put in charge of AI won’t just impact technology; they’ll shape your customer relationships, competitive advantage, and, ultimately, your bottom line. 😤

Deciding who leads our AI initiatives depends entirely on our objectives.

The golden AI rule

An argument can be made that the CTO should oversee everything technical, including AI. Your CTO is already responsible for your company’s technology infrastructure, data security, and system reliability, and AI directly impacts all these areas.

But does that mean the CTO should dictate what AI tools your creative team uses? Does the CTO understand the fundamentals of what makes good content or the company’s marketing objectives? 🤔💭

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That sounds more like a job for your creative team or your CMO.

On the other hand, your CMO handles everything from brand positioning and revenue growth to customer experiences. But does that mean they should decide what AI tools are used for coding or managing company-wide processes or even integrating company data?

You see the problem, right? 🤓☝️

AI doesn’t live in a vacuum. It isn’t just a marketing thing or a tech thing. It’s bigger than that. AI is now a strategy thing, you feel me?

In our company, the decision-making process related to anything tech is simple.

No department tells another department what tools they should use to do their job. 🙅‍♂️

In large companies, it’s always the guy who never did the job negotiating contracts, and when the person actually doing the work starts working, the first thing on their mind is, “What the hell is this thing?” or “My way is faster.” You and I don’t even work together, and you know exactly what I’m talking about, smh.

The person doing the work chooses their tools. It’s as simple as that.❗❗❗

Also: 4 ways to get your business ready for the agentic AI revolution

Once a tool is chosen, our CTO will step in. They perform their due diligence to ensure our data stays secure, confidential information isn’t leaked, and none of our secrets end up on the dark web.

That said, if your organization is large enough to need a dedicated Chief AI Officer (CAIO), their role shouldn’t be deciding AI tools for everyone. Instead, they’re a mediator who connects the dots between teams. They listen to what people need, understand what each department is dealing with, and ensure the company’s overall AI strategy matches real-world needs. Their job is less about control and more about ensuring everyone is on the same page. 🤓

My simple yet effective approach

Here is a simple but effective checklist your team can use to decide what AI tool to deploy:

• Collectively define the goal for the AI tool
• Identify who will use it daily and clearly understand their needs and wants
• Test the AI solution to make sure it works as intended
• Have the CTO check security and confirm it integrates smoothly into existing systems (if necessary)
• Measure if the AI makes things better once deployed
• Periodically check if a better solution exists that could improve the workflow

Also: 5 ways to boost your team’s productivity – without relying on generative AI

This approach keeps your AI strategy practical, relevant, and effective without stepping on anyone’s toes or slowing things down. 👍

My two cents

I’ll leave you with this: AI isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It touches every part of your business, and all those parts have different needs and objectives.

AI is a strategy. It’s not just another piece of tech or a random tool. 🤓☝️

That’s why I firmly believe AI should never be a one-size-fits-all decision. The person who decides which AI tool to use should always be the person doing the actual work. This approach ensures that the right tools are chosen and fosters a culture of innovation and efficiency across your organization.

You feel me?

😇 Hope this helps. I’m rooting for you.

P.S. If you want more easy and helpful AI tips and tricks, sign up for my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts.

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