Ted Kaouk Appointed as CFTC’s First Chief AI Officer

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has announced the appointment of Dr. Ted Kaouk as the agency’s first Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer. Kaouk, presently holding positions as the CFTC’s Chief Data Officer and Director of the Division of Data, will now assume the newly enhanced role of Chief Data and AI Officer.

In this capacity, he will spearhead the formulation of the CFTC’s overarching strategy concerning enterprise data and AI, thereby fortifying the agency's endeavors to bolster its data-centric capabilities.

“The CFTC has been deeply engaged in efforts to deploy an enterprise data and AI strategy to modernize staff skillsets, instill a data-driven culture, and begin to leverage the efficiencies of AI as an innovative financial markets regulator. Ted has the requisite technical and leadership experience needed to lead and implement the CFTC’s data and AI roadmap at this critical stage to achieve the best outcomes for the CFTC and those it serves,” says CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam.

Prior to joining CFTC in 2023, Kaouk served as the Chief Data Officer and Responsible Official for AI at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). At OPM, he was responsible for developing the agency’s first federal government-wide human capital data strategy and data products. 

Before his tenure at OPM, he held the position of Chief Data Officer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where he played a pivotal role in building the agency’s inaugural enterprise data analytics and AI platform.