customer
What It Means
A customer is anyone who receives value from an automated system, process, or AI service your organization provides. This includes external paying customers, internal employees using AI tools, and even other systems that consume your AI outputs. The key is that they are the end beneficiary of whatever automated capability you've built.
Why Chief AI Officers Care
Understanding who your AI customers are drives everything from system design to compliance requirements to success metrics. Different customer types have different expectations for AI transparency, accuracy, and reliability - a financial services customer needs explainable AI decisions while an internal HR team might prioritize speed. Getting this wrong leads to AI systems that technically work but fail to deliver business value.
Real-World Example
A retail company's AI recommendation engine serves three distinct customers: online shoppers who see product suggestions (external customers), marketing teams who use the insights for campaigns (internal customers), and the inventory management system that adjusts stock levels based on predicted demand (system customers). Each has different needs for the same AI capability.
Common Confusion
People often think 'customer' only means external paying clients, but in AI systems, your most important customers might be internal teams or even other automated systems. Missing these internal customers often leads to AI projects that impress demos but fail in real operations.
Industry-Specific Applications
See how this term applies to healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, tech, and insurance.
Healthcare: In healthcare AI systems, customers include patients receiving AI-enhanced care, clinicians using diagnostic AI tools, a...
Finance: In finance, customers encompass retail banking clients, institutional investors, traders using algorithmic systems, and ...
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Includes:
- 6 industry-specific applications
- Relevant regulations by sector
- Real compliance scenarios
- Implementation guidance
Technical Definitions
NISTNational Institute of Standards and Technology
"The beneficiary of the execution of an automated task, process, or service."Source: IEEE_Guide_IPA
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