product owner
What It Means
A product owner is the single person responsible for deciding what an AI product should do and in what order features get built. They act as the bridge between business stakeholders who want things and the technical team who builds things, making sure everyone stays aligned on priorities and the overall product vision.
Why Chief AI Officers Care
Without a strong product owner, AI projects drift without clear direction, leading to wasted resources and products that don't solve real business problems. A good product owner ensures AI development stays focused on measurable business outcomes rather than interesting technical experiments, which is critical for ROI and stakeholder buy-in.
Real-World Example
At a retail company building an AI-powered recommendation engine, the product owner decides that improving click-through rates for existing customers takes priority over adding new recommendation categories, based on current business needs. They communicate this priority to both the data science team and marketing executives, ensuring everyone understands why certain features are being built first.
Common Confusion
People often think the product owner is just a project manager who tracks timelines and meetings. The key difference is that product owners make strategic decisions about what gets built and why, while project managers focus on how and when work gets done.
Industry-Specific Applications
See how this term applies to healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, tech, and insurance.
Healthcare: In healthcare AI, the product owner must ensure all product decisions comply with FDA regulations, HIPAA privacy require...
Finance: In finance, the product owner for AI systems must ensure compliance with regulations like Model Risk Management (SR 11-7...
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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
"[person who is] focused on providing direction and prioritization for the cross-functional AI team, ensuring everyone remains focused on the overall vision and road map. This role is responsible for unifying individuals with diverse skills and backgrounds toward a common goal. "Source: Forbes_Tracy_Kemp
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