Rex Briggs is joining Claritas as the company’s first chief artificial intelligence officer, which is still a rare role across the measurement and analytics industry, as the company looks to apply artificial intelligence across its business. 

Briggs’ job will be to find ways to apply AI to Claritas data, such as its PRIZM consumer segmentation system, in new applications for media targeting, dynamic creative optimization and internal processes. The move comes as Claritas integrates its September acquisition of AI-focused analytics firm ArtsAI.

Briggs, long a prominent researcher and founder of the analytics firm Marketing Evolution, sold controlling interest in that company in 2019. Since then, he’s done independent research and consulting, including an extensive statistical analysis of the effect of vaccination, masking and travel on the spread of the coronavirus in 2021.

That research, and Briggs’ growing interest in AI, led him to consulting work with ArtsAI, which included an effort to maximize personalization and engagement with the Ad Council’s campaign to promote Covid vaccinations. Briggs’ search for more ways to use ArtsAI’s capabilities led to applying them to Claritas data and its identity graph spanning all U.S. households.

Briggs, who leads the AI Leadership Coalition of MMA Global, a marketing industry association, taught the virtual course for marketers offered by the non-profit trade group last week. He’s the author of two books on marketing analytics, and co-author along with his son and AI researcher Caleb Briggs of the upcoming “The AI Conundrum” book, set to publish in August with pre-orders that put it on pace to be an Amazon business bestseller, Briggs said last week.

Briggs’ new role will include finding new product applications for AI and applying them to internal work processes, said Claritas CEO Mike Nazzaro. His consulting work already has included bringing PRIZM’s consumer segments to life as animated personas or agents that can allow Claritas or clients to query them for deeper insights to shape campaign creative and media strategies.

“If you want to increase business results with data and AI, Rex is the go-to thought leader,” said Kay Vizon, director of media for Kroger Co., in a statement. Claritas’ appointment of Briggs, “reinforces the company’s dedication to integrating AI in multiple ways and will play a vital role in helping its clients succeed in the future,” she said.

Briggs will unveil a prototype for a system that uses AI to give consumers more control of their data at a Dec. 7 “Clarity” event Claritas is holding in New York. Briggs said the plan is to help consumers create “these digital twins that know us really, really well” and can as a result help people make purchase decisions, support planning for business trips or vacations.” The simultaneous aim is “to get to a point of deeper understanding than marketers have ever had before.”