Who is an AI Champion and Who to Appoint in Your Company

Deciding to implement artificial intelligence (AI) in your company can be pivotal for growth, but it won't create automations on its own. You need an internal champion—someone responsible for the results. This is your AI Champion, an individual who understands your business and is ready to transform it using new tools.

Who is an AI Champion and Why Do You Need One?

An AI Champion isn't just an employee who knows how to use ChatGPT. It's someone who sees AI's potential for your business, can translate business needs into AI tool requirements, and bring automations to a working state. Without such an internal leader, your AI investments risk becoming mere experiments without real-world application.

Why You Shouldn't Hire an External AI Specialist

You could, of course, hire an external AI specialist or integrator, but this approach has limitations. First, such a specialist might not fully grasp the nuances of your business, which is critical for identifying truly valuable automation opportunities. Second, hiring an external contractor or a full-time specialist can be financially burdensome, especially given the current market and high demand for such experts. Furthermore, relying on an external resource can slow down the process when a company needs hundreds of automations, each requiring time and money. An internal AI Champion is an investment in your team's long-term knowledge and capabilities.

How to Choose an Internal AI Champion

Selecting the right person for this role is critical. Look for employees who meet specific criteria, even if they lack deep technical AI knowledge. The main qualities are their ability to learn, business understanding, and desire to change processes.

Here are key traits to look for:

• Deep understanding of business processes: The Champion must thoroughly know how the company operates, where bottlenecks exist, and what routine tasks consume time. This enables them to find the most effective AI application points.
• Leadership qualities and initiative: This isn't just an executor, but someone who can lead, motivate others, and independently seek solutions. They must be willing to take responsibility for results.
• Openness to new ideas and learning ability: AI technologies evolve rapidly. The Champion must be ready to constantly learn and adapt. Participants don't need to code; they describe business logic in words, and AI writes the code.
• Communication skills: They must be able to communicate with colleagues at all levels—from frontline employees to management—to identify needs and explain the value of AI solutions.
• Systems thinking: The ability to see the big picture and understand how one automation affects other processes is crucial for successful implementation.

Where Should an AI Champion Start?

After selecting an AI Champion (or several champions), it's vital to provide them with a clear action plan and tools. Don't expect someone to figure out where to start on their own if they've never done it before. Here's a step-by-step plan to help your AI Champion achieve initial results quickly.

Step-by-Step Plan for an AI Champion

1. Week 1: AI Immersion and Routine Identification

   • Day 1-2: Fundamentals of working with AI tools. Understanding capabilities and limitations. Familiarization with basic AI models and their costs. Your Champion should understand what an LLM (Large Language Model) is and what tasks it can perform. This will help them describe business logic in words, allowing AI to write the code.
   • Day 3-5: Compile a list of 5-10 most labor-intensive and routine tasks in the company. The AI Champion should speak with colleagues to identify which tasks consume the most working hours. This stage includes informal surveying of key employees.

2. Week 2: Focus on Initial Automations

   • Day 6-7: Select 3 priority tasks for automation. Focus on those with clear inputs and outputs, and where the effect of automation will be obvious and measurable. For sensitive processes, our sessions use test or anonymized data; NDAs are available upon request.
   • Day 8-10: Create the first micro-automations. Your Champion will personally launch their first micro-automation in the browser. This could be something simple, such as generating templated responses to common questions or processing simple input data.

3. Week 3-4: Testing, Implementation, and Scaling

   • Day 11-15: Test automations in real-world conditions. Gather feedback from employees who will use these tools. Document "working" criteria in writing before starting.
   • Day 16-20: Refine and finalize automations. Help the Champion ensure that the created tools perform the agreed-upon scenario with your data and within your existing tools. The code and created automations are the company's property.

After this cycle, you will have at least 3 working automations already providing value, and your AI Champion will have practical experience and confidence for further work.

What to Ask of an AI Champion? How to Measure Their Effectiveness?

It's important to establish clear metrics to evaluate the AI Champion's work. Don't focus on the number of courses completed or articles read. What matters is what they deliver for the business.

Evaluate based on the following indicators:

• Number of working automations: This is the most crucial metric. How many automations have been successfully implemented and are used daily? We guarantee a minimum of 3 working automations with our program.
• Employee time saved: How many hours or days of work have been saved thanks to the implemented tools? Ask the AI Champion to provide calculations and feedback from teams.
• Improved work quality: Have errors decreased, are requests processed faster, are documents more accurately composed? Qualitative indicators are also important.
• Team engagement: Has the AI Champion managed to interest other employees in AI, and are they also willing to suggest automation ideas?
• Documentation and support: Are the created automations clearly described, and are there instructions for users? The first month of support for created automations is included in our program's price.

Definitions

Definition: An AI Champion is an employee responsible for identifying, developing, and implementing AI automations within a company, acting as a bridge between business and technology. Definition: A working automation is an AI tool that performs a company-agreed scenario with its data and within its tools, with "working" criteria documented in writing before starting. Definition: An LLM (Large Language Model) is a type of AI capable of understanding and generating human language, used for automating text-based tasks.

How this works on our side: Our corporate program is designed to train up to 20 employees for one fixed price. Over 4 live 2-hour sessions within 2 weeks, your team, led by Yaroslav Maksymovych, creates a minimum of 3 working automations that execute agreed-upon scenarios with your data. We guarantee a refund if there are no results. Each participant receives a recorded video course and chat access with the instructor for the duration of the course. https://course.aiadvisoryboard.me/corporate?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=article_body&utm_campaign=corporate

FAQ

Does an AI Champion need technical experience?

No, not necessarily. A deep understanding of business processes, initiative, and the ability to learn are more important. Participants don't need to code; they describe business logic in words, and AI writes the code.

How long does it take to prepare an AI Champion?

First results can be achieved in as little as 2 weeks. This is the duration of our intensive program, after which participants personally launch their first micro-automations.

What if there's no obvious candidate in the company?

If you don't see an obvious candidate, try broadening your criteria. Perhaps some department managers or leading specialists have potential but aren't aware of it. Offer a free 30-minute consultation-diagnostic.

Can a founder be an AI Champion?

Yes, this is even an ideal option to start. A founder best understands the business's needs. Our approach assumes that everything starts with the founder's decision, looking at the company from an elevated perspective.

How to motivate an AI Champion?

Motivation can be both material (bonuses for implemented automations that save time/money) and non-material (opportunity for development, influence on processes, recognition).

Conclusion

Appointing an AI Champion is a strategic step for any company aiming to effectively integrate artificial intelligence into its processes. The right choice of individual and a clear action plan will allow you to quickly see initial results and scale success. If you're ready to take this step, start with a free 30-minute diagnostic consultation where we'll analyze one real problem in your company.