The Heller Report: Why Cisco is Redefining Its CIO Role

Two years ago, Thimaya Subaiya, Cisco’s executive vice president of operations, consolidated all AI work under a chief AI officer. As he seeks a CIO who will be central to Cisco’s AI deployments going forward, Subaiya explains the kind of leader he seeks. “The role today requires someone who’s been disruptive, and has had to rethink how a company operates, not just how its applications work,” he tells Martha Heller in this article for CIO.com.

Organizations racing to implement AI are struggling to govern it, according to a Harvard Business Review Analytics Services report that included comments from Heller CEO Martha Heller about CIOs dealing with this challenge. One recommendation for CIOs: engage employees in building an AI use-case catalog. “Leading CIOs need to create a pull mechanism to create cohorts of teams all running AI together. They need to be able to say to employees, ‘We are going to give you basic-level training, and you are going to meet in a cohort weekly. Then we are going to start showcasing the best use cases.’” 

 Heller announced the promotion of Meagan Silva to AI innovation and solutions manager, a role in which she will design and implement AI-enabled processes that strengthen search execution across the firms’ teams. “Meagan’s focus on usability, adoption, and continuous improvement ensures that innovation is not only introduced — but embedded into the way Heller works. We are using AI in every facet of our executive process,” says Heller CEO Martha Heller. “In her role, Meagan will partner with Heller leaders to ensure new AI tools enhance the customer experience.”  

Insects carrying sensors have been part of “search and explore” missions before. Now biorobotics researchers at the University of Queensland in Brisbane have equipped Australian giant burrowing cockroaches (Macropanesthia rhinoceros) with electronics that makes it possible to remotely pilot them through rubble and caves and use cameras to assess conditions and deliver a remotely activated injection. “A lot of people might not like the sight of a giant cockroach scurrying towards them, but if you’re trapped in rubble or stuck in a cave and need help, it could make a real difference between life and death,” said Hai Nhan Le, one of the researchers.