Custom AI · Lead · From $4,000/mo

Senior AI leadership, without a full-time hire.

A fractional Chief AI Officer is a retained, part-time AI executive for firms building proprietary AI or formalizing AI governance. They set the AI strategy, pick and govern the tools, keep the roadmap moving, and give regulated firms governance leadership a principal can sign. You get senior ownership of the whole AI agenda a few days a month, not a full-time seat.

What you get

  • AI strategy and a moving roadmap: one accountable owner sets the direction and keeps the work advancing quarter over quarter.
  • Tools picked and governed: vendor selection, evaluation, and acceptable-use policy, so the stack is chosen on purpose, not by accident.
  • Governance a principal can sign: a defensible AI posture you can show examiners and boards, matched to how your firm is regulated.
  • Two retainer tiers: CAIO Signature from $4,000/mo, and CAIO Estate from $8,000/mo for firms that want active build management inside the retainer.

Prefer a fixed-scope project? The Governance Install is a one-time engagement from $12,500 that ends in a Trust Binder your principal signs, and that your risk, legal, or compliance teams can evaluate. It stands on its own, or it sets the foundation a retainer runs on.

This LP is best for larger firms that need senior AI leadership without a full-time hire, or that must show examiners and boards a defensible AI governance posture.

Want the complete capability list? See the full Fractional CAIO & Governance page. Need the AI system a CAIO governs built instead? That is the Custom AI build path.

From $4,000/mo
Pay over time · Affirm, Klarna, or CareCredit

Payment & Financing

Pay how it works for you.

All major cards, Cash App Pay, and one-click Link at checkout. Prefer to spread the cost? Choose Affirm or Klarna on eligible amounts, or finance through CareCredit. Larger engagements can be invoiced with a simple payment plan.

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Affirm, Klarna, Cash App Pay, and CareCredit are third-party providers; approval and terms are theirs. Financing is not credit offered by Aday Interactive, Inc.

CAIO Signature from $4,000/mo, CAIO Estate from $8,000/mo. Prefer a fixed-scope project? The Governance Install starts at $12,500 and ends in a signed Trust Binder.

Request a consultation below. We review every request by hand and reach out to book a short fit call that maps scope and the right tier. No engagement is scheduled before that call.

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FAQ

Fractional CAIO and governance, questions answered

What does a fractional Chief AI Officer actually do?

A fractional CAIO is a retained, part-time AI executive. They set the AI strategy, pick and govern the tools, keep the roadmap moving, and give regulated firms governance leadership a principal can sign. You get senior ownership of the whole AI agenda a few days a month, without a full-time hire.

Who is this best for?

Larger firms that need senior AI leadership without a full-time hire, or that must show examiners and boards a defensible AI governance posture. It fits firms building proprietary AI or formalizing how they use it.

What are the retainer tiers and what do they cost?

There are two. CAIO Signature starts at $4,000 per month. CAIO Estate starts at $8,000 per month and is for firms that want active build management handled inside the retainer. The right tier is set on your fit call, based on scope.

What is the Governance Install, and how is it different from the retainer?

The Governance Install is a one-time, fixed-scope engagement from $12,500. It ends in a Trust Binder your principal signs, and that your risk, legal, or compliance teams can evaluate. The retainer is ongoing senior leadership. The Install can stand alone, or set the foundation a retainer runs on.

What is the Trust Binder?

It is the single signed deliverable the Governance Install ends in. It is the artifact a principal signs and that risk, legal, or compliance teams can evaluate, so when a client or an examiner asks how your firm governs AI, you have one clear answer to hand them.

Can you build the AI system too, not just govern it?

Yes, that is a separate path. This page is about leadership and governance. For the systems a CAIO governs, see the Custom AI build path at /custom-ai. Many firms take the governance first, then build on a governed foundation.

What happens after I request a consultation?

We review every request by hand and reach out to book a short fit call. That call maps scope and the right tier. No engagement is scheduled before it.