Colleges are centralizing AI strategy by creating senior roles—sometimes dubbed “AI czar” or chief AI officer—to coordinate policy, risk management and campus deployment. The appointments signal urgency but also reveal limits: many of these offices are new, their authority varies widely, and some institutions have already reversed or eliminated the roles amid budget and alignment challenges. Experts and early incumbents stress the need for a cross‑functional governance framework that pairs technical oversight, ethical guardrails and academic leadership. Without clear mandates and integration across faculties and IT, AI offices risk becoming symbolic rather than operationally effective; institutions say success hinges on rapid coordination with faculty governance, legal counsel, and research compliance.