As DraftKings president of global product and technology, company co-founder Paul Liberman is better-placed than most to assess AI’s impact on the gambling industry.
It is a topic that the Boston-based operator has been vocal on in recent months, with CEO Jason Robins hailing the company’s growing reliance on AI as a “big win” in recent earnings calls. Many operators of varying statures are calling upon the technology to revamp how they tackle different tasks, from streamlining internal operations, to enhancing the frontend experience for users.
DraftKings is no different. The operator is ensuring that all departments are familiar with AI and how it can be deployed to have the greatest impact, as an AI-first mindset is “not just for engineers or data scientists,” Liberman explains.
That is a sentiment shared by fellow co-founder Robins, who told analysts back in May that thanks to AI “there’s not a place that you can’t see efficiency gains throughout the company”.
However, while the bulk of DraftKings’ investment in AI has focused on “internal enablement”, efforts to improve the UX via the technology is also expected to ramp up in the coming months, from a revamped customer journey to new responsible gambling measures powered by large language models (LLMs).
EGR: DraftKings CEO Jason Robins has previously explained how the company is adopting an “AI-first mindset”. What exactly does that entail?
Paul Liberman (PL): An AI-first mindset means we’re intentionally designing our business around the capabilities of AI – not just layering it onto existing systems. At DraftKings, we see AI as an essential enabler of efficiency, scale and innovation across every part of the company. It’s not a future investment; it’s already embedded in how we build products, support players and manage risk.
We’re using AI to reduce friction and increase leverage – whether that’s accelerating time-to-market for new products and features or making our internal teams more productive. Just as companies once had to think mobile-first or cloud-first, we believe AI-first is the new paradigm. That means AI considerations are part of strategy discussions, roadmap planning sessions and system design choices we make.
Importantly, this mindset is not just for engineers or data scientists. We’re equipping every function – from marketing and design to legal and customer experience – with AI capabilities and fluency. By democratising access and embedding AI into our culture and processes, we’re unlocking compounding advantages over time.
EGR: When did this shift to embrace AI really begin? Was there a specific turning point that inspired the change in attitude?
PL: While DraftKings has leveraged machine learning in core areas like risk modeling for over a decade, the shift to an AI-first mindset has accelerated over the past several quarters. The real turning point came when generative AI and LLMs began demonstrating utility well beyond technical teams. Suddenly, product managers, marketers, analysts – even legal and finance – could integrate AI into their daily workflows. That accessibility created momentum across the organisation.
What started as isolated use cases quickly turned into a company-wide movement. We began seeing AI not just as a technical advantage, but as a force multiplier for creativity and operational efficiency. It’s allowing us to automate many manual tasks, and unlock faster insights across the board. Ultimately, it’s helping us work smarter and scale faster – delivering better experiences for our players.
EGR: Do you have any key examples of how AI has improved any of DraftKings’ internal operations?
PL: AI has been instrumental in streamlining our customer support experience and accelerating product development. These enhancements have led to faster response times and more efficient service delivery, contributing to improved customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Use of AI in product development has reduced the cycle time and increased our output, allowing us to scale our product development.
EGR: With the majority of DraftKings’ AI use focused on internal operations, is there any scope for that to change, such as exploring frontend solutions?
PL: Absolutely. While a significant portion of our early AI investment has been focused on internal enablement – streamlining operations, improving productivity and accelerating time-to-market – we’re increasingly expanding AI’s role in shaping the player-facing experience.
We’re actively testing AI-driven features within our applications aimed at creating more intuitive customer journeys. Think conversational interfaces that help players navigate our platforms more naturally. These are just a few of the concepts we’re exploring with an eye toward elevating the end-to-end player experience.
At the same time, AI can play an important role in our responsible gaming strategy. We are leveraging LLMs to help customer support personnel present relevant responsible gaming information and resources, making AI a powerful tool for responsible gaming responses.
EGR: How impactful could AI be on the gambling industry compared to other sectors? Is there a danger that if large operators don’t move now, they will be left behind?
PL: AI is set to be a foundational shift for the gaming industry – one that impacts not just how we operate, but how we support our players. Its potential goes far beyond efficiency gains. AI enables real-time detection of potential integrity threats, and smarter tools and education to promote a responsible environment.
For an industry built on trust and speed, the ability to use AI as a tool for things like fraud prevention, and operational resilience is transformative. Companies that embrace these capabilities early will be better equipped to adapt to evolving regulatory expectations and deliver more seamless player experiences.
Those who treat AI as optional or secondary risk falling behind – not just in innovation, but in the fundamentals of operating responsibly and competitively in a data-driven world.
EGR: Do you foresee a world where chief AI officers become a common fixture in the C-suite of major companies?
PL: We believe the real opportunity isn’t in centralising AI under a single role, but in embedding it across every function, team and level of the organisation. At DraftKings, we’ve prioritised setting a clear enterprise-wide strategy and building the systems and tooling that allow teams to take ownership of AI within their domains.
Rather than creating a new C-suite title, we’re focused on cultivating AI fluency company-wide – so that product managers, marketers, engineers, analysts and operators are all empowered to apply AI in ways that drive impact. That distributed approach has proven far more effective in driving adoption, speed and innovation.
The companies that will truly lead in the AI era won’t just have a chief AI officer – they’ll have AI-literate cultures, where experimentation is encouraged, tooling is accessible and every team understands how to leverage AI responsibly and strategically.
The post DraftKings co-founder: “Those who treat AI as optional or secondary risk falling behind” first appeared on EGR Intel.
In an exclusive interview with EGR, DraftKings co-founder and president of global product and technology Paul Liberman explains how adopting an AI-first mentality has become a company-wide movement
The post DraftKings co-founder: “Those who treat AI as optional or secondary risk falling behind” first appeared on EGR Intel.