The Rise of the Chief AI Officer and How to Land Corporate Australia’s Hottest $1.2m Role
The Australian Financial Review
ENRICHED
Details
- Date Published
- 9 Oct 2026
- Priority Score
- 2
- Australian
- Yes
- Created
- 9 Oct 2026, 06:02 am
Description
Artificial intelligence expertise isn’t the top requirement for the latest in-demand job – the chief AI officer.
Summary
This article examines the emergence of the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) role within major Australian corporations like MinterEllison, highlighting the shift toward dedicated AI leadership at the executive level. While focusing primarily on corporate strategy and implementation, the creation of such roles signifies the institutionalization of AI governance and oversight within the private sector. The discussion centers on balancing technical expertise with business value, which is a foundational component of managing operational and compliance risks associated with deploying frontier AI systems. However, the article lacks specific analysis of catastrophic or existential risk mitigation strategies beyond general organizational governance.
Body
Emma McGrath-CohenReporterOct 9, 2026 – 5.00amPooyan Asgari had a lot to learn before starting as law firm MinterEllison’s inaugural chief artificial intelligence officer, but not about AI.With decades of data and AI experience across academia and his previous role as Domain’s chief data officer, Asgari spent the month before his August start date immersing himself in the legal sector to ensure he could translate that technical background into business value.Loading...SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy linkCopiedEmailLinkedInTwitterFacebookCopy linkCopiedShare via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this articleGift articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? LoginLicense articleRead MoreBOSSJobsPayAtlassianMinterEllisonAIEmma McGrath-CohenReporterEmma McGrath-Cohen is a journalist for The Australian Financial Review. Message Emma on Signal @emmamc.26 Email Emma at emma.mcgrathcohen@afr.com.auFetching latest articles