Cohere is entering a new phase with the appointment of Joelle Pineau as Chief AI Officer, aiming to reshape the company’s AI vision around secure, private environments. The Toronto-based startup is taking a clear path away from the hype of artificial general intelligence and focusing instead on reliable, enterprise-ready AI agents.

Pineau plans to advance Cohere’s AI capabilities by prioritizing practical applications inside firm infrastructures. The spotlight is on North, Cohere’s AI platform that lets organizations deploy AI entirely behind their firewalls—keeping sensitive data private and secure without exposing it to outside cloud providers.

Strategic Focus and Real-World AI Networks

Pineau is eager to develop meaningful benchmarks to measure AI agent performance and explore how networks of these agents interact in the field. “My goal is to build systems that work well in real-world environments, not just in lab settings,” she said. This focus on experience and practicality embodies the new direction for Cohere’s research and product teams.

Addressing Talent Challenges with Collaboration

One of Pineau’s top priorities is filling the shoes of Sara Hooker, the former VP of AI Research who played a key role in building Cohere’s research culture. The competition for AI talent is fierce, with giants like Meta and OpenAI offering eye-popping compensation packages exceeding $100 million to attract top experts.

Rather than pursuing star power alone, Pineau believes in building a collaborative and well-balanced team. “Hiring a bunch of superstars doesn’t necessarily make a superstar team,” she noted. The emphasis is on fostering strong collaboration to create a cohesive and innovative research group.

Why This Shift Matters Now

As the AI race heats up with deep-pocketed rivals investing billions, Cohere’s emphasis on privacy-first, enterprise-focused AI agents offers a differentiated approach. This strategy aims for sustainable growth by delivering practical AI solutions that businesses and governments can trust with their most sensitive data.

Whether Cohere’s new leadership and strategy will close the gap with larger competitors remains to be seen—but the AI industry is watching closely.