Keith Richman: Disney recruitment push shows that AI implementation is a people not a tech problem

Disney has posted a job for VP of Collaboration and AI. And, according to Keith Richman, Co-founder at Boosted Commerce, the company is saying out loud what everyone knows but will not admit.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: "Most companies pretend AI implementation is a tech problem. Disney recognises it is actually a people problem. The job description is wild. “Drive synergy across team. Ensure alignment with vision”. This entire job for this new hire is centred around getting different departments to work together on AI projects. I have never seen a VP of Collaboration before. The title sounds made up, but the need is real."

Every company is hiring AI talent without knowing how to organise them, Richman argues. "Meta spent $14 billion before hitting a hiring freeze. They brought on experts with big titles and no clear reporting structure. Disney took a different approach. Instead of hiring more AI engineers, they are hiring someone whose job is to make existing people collaborate effectively."

Most AI initiatives die in committee meetings, not in code reviews, he believes. This new role will either be the most important hire Disney makes or completely powerless. The empowerment question is everything.

Richman concludes: "If it works, every large company will copy the model within six months. If it fails, it proves AI adoption cannot be managed from the centre. The job posting reveals what Disney learned that other companies have not.  AI is not a technology problem. It is an organisational design problem."

RTIH AI in Retail Awards

RTIH, organiser of the industry leading RTIH Innovation Awards, proudly brings you the first edition of the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, which is now open for entries. 

Deadline for submissions is Friday, 5th December. It’s free to enter and you can do so across multiple categories.

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.

With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 29th January.