Seattle appoints first city AI officer

The City of Seattle has appointed its first City AI Officer, naming Lisa Qian to lead the governance, architecture and responsible deployment of artificial intelligence across city operations.

The new role formalises Seattle’s citywide approach to AI as its use expands across public services. The position sits within Seattle’s Information Technology Department and is designed to provide central leadership on AI technical standards, governance frameworks, workforce training and delivery.

Rob Lloyd, Chief Technology Officer & Director of Information Technology, City of Seattle, said the appointment reflects the city’s long-term commitment to ethical and accountable AI use.

“Lisa will partner with departments, City Leadership, the IT Executive Team, and I to advance critical work,” said Lloyd. “That includes setting and maintaining our AI technical architecture and governance framework, progressing training and skilling programmes, and driving value and delivery that aligns with Seattle’s Responsible Use values.”

The IT Department said the role represents a strategic investment in the city’s technology foundations, supporting services for more than 800,000 residents, over 50,000 businesses and approximately 13,500 city employees. The department said the position is intended to help Seattle harness AI’s potential while maintaining public trust and accountability.

Qian brings more than a decade of experience leading data science and AI teams across the technology sector. She spent more than two years at LinkedIn as a senior data science leader, overseeing product data science for LinkedIn Ads and LinkedIn Sales Solutions, with a focus on evaluation frameworks, experimentation and scaling data science capabilities across complex platforms.

Before that, Qian spent over six years at Airbnb in a range of data science and management roles across search, trust and safety, and community support. Her work included developing fraud detection models, improving search relevance, and leading teams focused on automation and efficiency in customer support operations.

“After an amazing experience at LinkedIn, I took some time off to reflect on my career and what comes next,” said Qian. “This transition to public service feels like the right next chapter. I’m excited to apply everything I’ve learned from my experience working in tech towards making Seattle an even better place through responsible AI.”

Main image: Patty Godsalve | Dreamstime.com