Cleveland Clinic Names Ben Shahshahani as First Chief AI Officer

(US and Canada) American healthcare company Cleveland Clinic has appointed Ben Shahshahani, Ph.D. as its first Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer to direct the use of AI across the health system.

Shahshahani, a technology executive with more than 20 years of experience in AI and machine learning, will serve as Vice President, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, starting August 12, 2024. He will report to Chief Digital Officer Rohit Chandra, Ph.D.

In this new role, Shahshahani will develop and implement an enterprise AI strategy, focusing on enhancing patient care, improving caregiver experiences, and increasing organizational efficiency. He will ensure AI deployment prioritizes safety, adheres to industry regulations, and follows ethical and data security standards.

"Cleveland Clinic recognizes the potential of artificial intelligence to revolutionize healthcare by enhancing patient care and streamlining caregiver workflows," said Dr. Chandra. "Ben's proven ability to apply innovative technologies strategically will be invaluable. We are thrilled to welcome him to our team."

Shahshahani joins Cleveland Clinic from SiriusXM and Pandora, where he served as Senior Vice President of Science, Machine Learning, and Product Analytics since 2021. There, he led teams in developing machine learning solutions and providing analytical insights, including advancements in deep learning, generative AI for spoken language processing, and personalized content recommendations.

"I am eager to join Cleveland Clinic and collaborate with teams to further the understanding and application of AI in healthcare, ultimately benefiting patients and caregivers," said Dr. Shahshahani.

Prior to his role at SiriusXM, Shahshahani held leadership positions at Verizon Media/Yahoo from 2014 to 2021, including Vice President of Advertising Science and Head of Yahoo Research. He also led targeting and ad campaign optimization teams at Google and has experience with Nuance and IBM, specializing in machine learning and AI for search, advertising, speech, natural language processing, and personalization.

Shahshahani earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University. He holds numerous patents and has published extensively, contributing to advancements in speech and natural language processing, search, and online advertising.