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I recently applied for the AI Officer position at Deutsche Welle. The process began predictably: I submitted my application on September 4th and received a confirmation a week later. The email was polite and formal, stating that the applications would now be reviewed.
But what followed was telling.
As the days turned into weeks, with no communication, I found myself questioning the process itself. An organization looking for a leader in AI innovation was running its own hiring in a way that felt entirely out of step with the speed and efficiency that AI promises. This wasn’t just a slow administrative process; it was a missed opportunity.
We have the tools today—from intelligent applicant tracking systems to retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)—that can transform hiring. They can make the process faster, more transparent, and more respectful of a candidate’s time. They embody the very principles an AI leader should champion.
Ultimately, I made the difficult decision to withdraw my application. It wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction born of frustration. Instead, it was a decision rooted in a core belief: organizations must practice what they preach.
If a company is serious about leading with AI, it must first embrace AI values internally: agility, transparency, and the intelligent use of data. Otherwise, it risks falling into the same trap that made “digital transformation” feel like a buzzword without real action. For me, this experience was a powerful reminder that true innovation begins at home.
