Seattle appoints former LinkedIn, Airbnb data science manager to be city’s first AI officer

Seattle has named Lisa Qian, who has experience leading data science management at companies like LinkedIn and Airbnb, to serve as the city’s first artificial intelligence officer.

Seattle’s Information Technology Department shared the news on LinkedIn Monday, noting that new role will be “pivotal” in driving responsible and innovative AI use across Seattle’s public services. The city AI officer position is described as a strategic leadership role, designed to “ensure Seattle harnesses the transformative potential of artificial intelligence while upholding the city’s values and commitment to responsible technology use,” the post read.

The city’s chief technology officer, Rob Lloyd, wrote on LinkedIn that Qian will partner with him, city departments, the IT executive team and other members of city leadership to advance “critical work,” like setting and maintaining the city’s AI technical architecture and governance framework. She is also tasked with helping to develop the city’s AI training programs and aligning services with a responsible-use framework.

Qian has more than a decade of experience and a background in research. She earned a Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford University on top of dual bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and physics from Rice University, according to her LinkedIn profile. Most recently, she served as a senior manager of data science at LinkedIn. She was a senior research science manager at the software company Convoy and a data science manager at Airbnb.

In these roles, according to the city’s announcement, she developed evaluation frameworks for generative AI products that establish quality standards, developed AI models that could detect fraud while protecting legitimate users and grew data science teams.

“I’m deeply honored to take on this role,” Qian said in the announcement. “As a proud Seattle resident, I’m excited to apply my experience building responsible data science and AI systems toward work that directly benefits our community. I’m committed to ensuring that AI serves our residents, businesses, and city operations in ways that are both effective and trustworthy.”