Plenty of businesses know they need senior leadership on AI — someone to own the direction, govern the decisions, and keep it tied to real value — but can’t justify hiring a full-time chief AI officer. A fractional AI officer fills that gap: experienced AI leadership, part-time. This page explains the role and how dgm provides it. (dgm implements osFoundry, a separate company’s platform — we are not osFoundry.)

What the role is

A fractional AI officer is a senior AI leader engaged part-time to do what a full-time executive would, scaled to what you actually need:

  • Set strategy. Define where AI fits in the business and what to pursue, in what order.
  • Govern decisions. Decide which initiatives proceed, how risk is managed, and what guardrails apply.
  • Keep it tied to ROI. Ensure AI work maps to real value, not novelty.
  • Advise on platform and vendors. Steer choices that keep you flexible and avoid lock-in.
  • Provide accountability. Be the senior person who owns the AI direction, so it’s coherent rather than a scatter of disconnected experiments.

It’s a leadership role, not a hands-on building role — though at dgm it connects directly to a team that can build (see AI Implementation Services).

Who it’s for

A fractional AI officer fits businesses that:

  • Need experienced AI direction but can’t justify a full-time executive salary.
  • Are making AI decisions ad hoc, without senior ownership or a coherent plan.
  • Want accountability for AI outcomes without adding permanent headcount.

That’s most small and mid-sized businesses, and plenty of larger ones early in their AI journey. If your AI efforts feel like a pile of experiments with no one steering, this is the gap to fill.

Why fractional makes sense for AI specifically

AI moves fast and the senior talent is scarce and expensive. A fractional arrangement gives you experienced judgment now, without competing for a full-time hire you may not yet need — and without the risk of locking in a senior salary before your AI strategy has even taken shape. As your needs grow, the engagement can grow with them; if you eventually hire a full-time leader, you’ll do it with a clear strategy already in place.

How it works with dgm

dgm anchors the advisory relationship in the fixed $399 assessment, which establishes the strategy and priorities, and continues it within the $3,999/month engagement — with no per-seat fees and scope agreed up front. Because dgm also implements, the advice connects directly to execution: the same relationship that sets the direction can carry it out, so strategy and delivery don’t live in separate silos. For pure strategy work without ongoing leadership, see AI Strategy Consulting.

How dgm helps

dgm provides fractional AI leadership for US businesses — senior strategy, governance, and accountability, part-time — tied directly to a team that can execute. If you’d rather explore the platform yourself first, you can go straight to osFoundry; if you want experienced AI direction without a full-time hire, that’s where dgm comes in.