AI at ALTEN: Governance, tools, and compliance for responsible innovation

Interview with Jędrzej Małkowicz, Senior Projecet Manager at Chief Artificial Intelligence Office (CAIO), ALTEN.

To begin – what is the role of the Chief AI Office, and what are its global objectives?
The Chief AI Office (CAIO) is a strategic unit within the ALTEN Group that brings together AI experts from across the organization. It is responsible for coordinating and integrating AI-related initiatives on a global scale. CAIO defines the strategic direction for AI development and establishes standards and processes to support its implementation.

Its core mission is to strengthen ALTEN’s competitive edge by enhancing project efficiency through the deployment of AI tools and delivering AI-powered solutions to ALTEN’s clients.

My current role focuses on developing the AI Management System – a framework that standardizes how AI is applied across the organization. In collaboration with the Italian team, we are designing a solution tailored to the specific nature of ALTEN’s projects. Simultaneously, I am involved in an initiative aimed at promoting AI tools within ALTEN, working alongside teams from Morocco and France.

How does collaboration work within a team composed of individuals from different countries and cultures? Does diversity contribute to the effective implementation of AI solutions?
Linguistic and cultural diversity is not a barrier but a strength of the CAIO department. It enables us to fully leverage the capabilities of a global team. ALTEN’s international footprint fosters the exchange of experiences and initiatives across markets, directly enhancing the level of expertise in our projects. This access to a broad spectrum of knowledge and perspectives becomes a tangible competitive advantage, particularly in AI-related endeavors.

Which business areas most frequently benefit from the AI tools you implement, and what specific improvements are already visible?
Our current priority is to ensure regulatory compliance and establish a robust technical foundation for AI development within the ALTEN Group. To support this, ALTEN has entered into a strategic partnership with the French company Mistral, allowing us to leverage solutions developed within the European Union and aligned with its regulatory framework.

CAIO’s mission is to build the infrastructure, tools, and competencies necessary to support project execution. The most commonly deployed solutions focus on knowledge management – for example, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)-based chatbots that assist project teams in accessing information. Increasingly, we are also seeing the adoption of tools that automate specific processes, such as the generation of test scenarios, documentation, and translations.

Your unit also addresses regulatory compliance, including the EU AI Act. What does the work around ensuring safe and ethical AI usage look like?
One of ALTEN’s core principles is the responsible and informed deployment of technology. As organizations increasingly recognize the ethical dimensions of AI usage, both guidelines and regulations are being developed to define the framework for safe and ethically aligned AI practices.

ALTEN treats regulatory compliance as a strategic priority. A dedicated program has been launched to raise employee awareness and define standards for working with AI that ensure alignment with the EU AI Act and prevailing governance frameworks. This program includes risk assessment processes, compliance audits, and training initiatives aimed at fostering ethical and responsible AI usage.

How do the global initiatives of the Chief AI Office translate into the day-to-day operations of local teams across different countries?
Operating globally, CAIO develops standards and knowledge resources that are subsequently made available to ALTEN’s local branches. Our objective is to support business processes by providing access to specialized expertise. Over time, through global platforms and tools such as Prisma.ai, and Microsoft Copilot, AI solutions will be progressively integrated into local teams and projects. CAIO’s ambition is to ensure that best practices and effective solutions are systematically replicated across all ALTEN Group projects.

Finally – how do ALTEN’s clients benefit from these global initiatives, and what future changes might AI development bring to them?
ALTEN’s approach involves the gradual optimization of processes through the targeted implementation of AI solutions. These efforts lead to increased project efficiency, improved service quality, and the automation of repetitive tasks. As a result, teams can focus on activities that require higher levels of creativity and innovation. In the long term, AI will be a pivotal driver of client value and competitive differentiation.