Target has named its first-ever Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, elevating AI leadership into its executive ranks as the retailer expands the technology’s role across shopping, operations, and business decision-making.
The company appointed Chandhu Nair as Chief AI Officer and Senior Vice President and also promoted Purvi Shah to Senior Vice President of User Experience. The move places dedicated AI oversight within Target’s leadership structure as retailers increasingly treat artificial intelligence as a core business priority rather than a standalone technology project.
Executive role formalizes AI oversight
Target said Nair will help build a more coordinated AI approach across the company, including work tied to inventory management and faster decision-making.
In a statement released by the company, Nair said the most important AI applications would emerge from day-to-day business operations rather than research laboratories.
He said the focus would be on making shopping easier for customers, improving tools for employees, enabling more confident business decisions and helping bring new ideas to market faster.
Nair joins Target from Lowe’s, where he served as Senior Vice President of Stores, Data, AI and Innovation. He has also held leadership roles at Staples and Gap, experience that Target said spans retail operations, technology, and customer engagement.
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AI moves deeper into retail strategy
The appointment comes as retailers push AI into more central business functions. Target has already launched several generative AI efforts, including Target Trend Brain, which is designed to spot emerging consumer trends and predict the styles, colors, and materials shoppers may want in the future.
Last holiday season, the company also introduced a conversational AI shopping assistant to help customers find gifts based on recipient preferences and shopping needs.
Target highlighted several developments tied to its AI push:
- Creation of Target’s first Chief AI Officer role
- Appointment of Chandhu Nair as Chief AI Officer and Senior Vice President
- Appointment of Purvi Shah as Senior Vice President of User Experience
- Expansion of AI capabilities across inventory management and business operations
- Continued investment in generative AI-powered customer tools
Broader industry shift
Target’s move reflects a wider trend among major retailers, which are integrating AI into supply chains, customer service, and workforce operations.
The source article noted that Walmart has deployed AI tools and agents across stores and supply chain operations, while Gap announced a partnership with Google Gemini earlier this year. Best Buy has also established AI collaborations with OpenAI and Google.
The shift has also reached the leadership level. Earlier this year, former Walmart Chief Executive Douglas McMillon said AI-driven commerce influenced his decision to step down and hand leadership to John Furner, who became CEO in February. McMillon said he believed the next phase of retail would be shaped by agentic commerce and AI-powered shopping experiences.
For Target, the creation of a dedicated AI leadership role underscores a broader change in how companies are organizing AI deployment. The source article said AI adoption now touches merchandising, marketing, customer service, supply chain management, and workforce productivity at the same time, making formal executive oversight increasingly important.
