Most credit unions don’t have a tech problem—they have an execution problem. Here’s how to use AI and the CSS network to turn strategy into real member impact.
“There is always an opportunity for credit unions to expand their digital footprint and presence.” – Barb Lowman, President, CUNA Strategic Services
Most credit unions don’t actually have a technology problem. They have an execution problem.
Boards approve “digital transformation” budgets. Vendors pitch AI for fraud detection, loan decisioning, and member service automation. Everyone nods. Then 12 months later, members are still waiting on hold for 9 minutes, fraud losses haven’t budged, and the analytics team is one person buried in spreadsheets.
Here’s the thing about AI for credit unions: tools don’t create value. Connected solutions and execution do. That’s exactly where organizations like CUNA Strategic Services (CSS) sit—right at the intersection of strategy, technology, and real-world delivery.
This article builds on insights from Barb Lowman’s conversation on The CUInsight Network and connects them directly to what credit union leaders are wrestling with right now: how to use AI to build truly member-centric banking without overwhelming your teams or your budget.
From Buzzword to Balance Sheet: What “Member-Centric AI” Really Means
Member‑centric AI isn’t another app or one more chatbot. It’s a way of making decisions and delivering service that consistently answers one question: Is this better for the member and sustainable for the credit union?
In practice, that usually shows up in five high‑impact areas:
- Fraud detection and risk mitigation
- Loan decisioning and pricing
- Member service automation
- Financial wellness and guidance
- Competitive intelligence and growth strategy
Most credit unions already touch at least one of these with some form of automation or analytics. The gap is coordination. Data lives in silos, point solutions don’t talk to each other, and vendors optimize for their product—not for your members’ journey.
CSS exists to flip that dynamic. Instead of every credit union trying to scout and vet hundreds of AI and digital providers, CSS curates and connects solutions that are proven in the cooperative space and helps CUs go from idea to execution.
The reality? When AI tools are chosen and integrated as a network—not as disconnected projects—you start to see measurable improvements within one budget cycle, not five.
Why Expanding Your Digital Footprint Is No Longer Optional
Barb Lowman is blunt about it: if you’re not expanding your digital footprint, you’re shrinking your relevance.
Member behavior makes the case:
- In 2024, more than 70% of credit union member interactions in many institutions were digital‑first (mobile, web, chat).
- Younger members often interact with their financial institution daily, but visit branches only a few times a year.
- Fintechs train consumers to expect instant decisions, 24/7 support, and personalized offers.
If a member can open a high‑yield account on their phone with a fintech in 3 minutes, but still has to call your contact center to complete a simple request, they slowly stop thinking of you as their “primary” institution.
The digital footprint AI actually cares about
When Barb talks about expanding the digital footprint, it’s not just “add more channels.” It’s:
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Digital experiences that teach your AI models
Every self‑service interaction—FAQ chat, mobile transfer, declined card—is a training signal. If it lives in five different systems with no unifying strategy, your AI can’t get smarter. -
Consistent identity and context
If your core banking system, CRM, and chatbot all treat a member like three different people, personalization fails. AI thrives when it has a single, coherent picture of the member. -
Execution paths, not pilots
Pilot projects that never scale are expensive hobbies. Digital initiatives should launch with a clear runway to scale across products, departments, and channels.
CSS focuses heavily on this network of people, resources, and tools—because that’s what turns digital footprint into sustainable member value.
From Idea to Execution: A Practical Framework for AI Projects
Most AI projects inside credit unions stall for the same three reasons:
- No shared definition of success
- No clear owner with authority
- Vendor choices made in isolation
Here’s a straightforward framework I’ve seen work well, and it fits neatly with how CSS advises and connects credit unions to solution providers.
1. Start with a specific member problem, not a technology
Bad starting point: “We need AI in the contact center.”
Better starting point: “Members wait an average of 7 minutes to reach an agent between 10am–2pm. Our goal is under 2 minutes without hiring more FTEs.”
Translate that member problem into a measurable outcome. For example:
- Reduce average handle time by 20%
- Resolve 30% of tier‑1 questions via AI assistant
- Improve member satisfaction scores by 15 points on digital support
Now AI isn’t an experiment. It’s a tool in service of a clear goal.
2. Map people, data, and process together
Before anyone signs a contract, answer three questions:
- People: Who owns this outcome? Who can change processes and not just “provide input”?
- Data: What data do we need? Where is it today? Who controls access?
- Process: What actually happens now—step by step—when a member experiences this issue?
Barb often talks about CSS as a connector of networks. This is what that means on the ground: bringing together your IT, operations, and member service leaders with vetted solution providers who’ve solved similar problems at other credit unions.
3. Pilot with constraints, scale with discipline
A good pilot has three constraints:
- Time‑bound (e.g., 90 days)
- Scope‑bound (e.g., one line of business, one call queue, one fraud use‑case)
- Metric‑bound (e.g., target lift, cost to achieve, member impact)
Then, if it works, you stop treating it as a pilot. You build a scaling plan:
- Integration milestones (core, online banking, CRM)
- Training and change‑management for staff
- Updated member communication and marketing
- Compliance and risk signoffs at each stage
Organizations like CSS can dramatically shorten this cycle because they’ve seen what realistic success metrics look like, where projects get stuck, and which AI partners are actually ready for the credit union environment.
Where AI Delivers Real Value for Member‑Centric Credit Unions
Not every shiny AI solution is worth your time. But there are a few use‑cases I’d prioritize for almost any credit union in 2025.
1. AI‑driven fraud detection
AI is simply better than rule‑based systems at spotting subtle, fast‑moving fraud patterns—especially in card transactions, P2P payments, and account‑takeover attempts.
Effective fraud platforms for credit unions:
- Use real‑time behavioral analytics instead of static rules only
- Continuously retrain on new patterns from across institutions
- Provide explainable alerts your fraud team can understand and act on
Done right, you’ll see:
- Fewer false positives (less member friction)
- Faster detection of true fraud
- Clear reporting for regulators and your board
2. Smarter loan decisioning and pricing
Members increasingly expect instant decisions—but “instant” can’t mean “reckless.” AI‑supported decisioning helps in three ways:
- More precise risk assessment using alternative and behavioral data
- Consistent underwriting that aligns with your policies
- Dynamic pricing models that protect margin while staying competitive
The key for credit unions: keep humans in the loop. Use AI to surface better recommendations and segment risk more accurately, while loan officers still make the final call for edge cases and complex members.
3. Member service automation that feels human, not robotic
A well‑implemented member service AI doesn’t replace your people. It protects them by handling repetitive, low‑value tasks.
Examples that work:
- 24/7 virtual assistants that handle routine questions (balances, routing number, card freezes)
- AI‑assisted agents that surface relevant knowledge articles and next‑best actions
- Smart triage that routes complex issues to the right human the first time
The difference between a frustrating chatbot and a truly helpful assistant usually comes down to data access and design:
- Does it actually know who the member is and what they’re trying to do?
- Does it gracefully hand off to a human, with context, when it’s stuck?
- Is it trained on your credit union’s specific policies and products?
Again, this is where curated solutions and strong vendor relationships, like those fostered through CSS, matter more than generic technology claims.
4. Proactive financial wellness tools
If member‑centric banking is the series theme, financial wellness is its heartbeat.
AI can:
- Spot early signs of financial stress and suggest outreach or tailored offers
- Provide personalized nudges ("you’re trending toward an overdraft next week")
- Curate learning content based on behavior and life stage
This isn’t just feel‑good functionality. Credit unions that invest in financial wellness tools often see:
- Higher product penetration
- Stronger primary‑FI relationships
- Lower charge‑offs as issues are caught earlier
Building the Right Partnerships: What CSS Gets Right
One of Barb Lowman’s core messages is simple: credit unions don’t have to figure this out alone.
CUNA Strategic Services plays three critical roles in the AI and digital ecosystem for credit unions:
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Curator of proven solutions
CSS vets technology and service providers specifically for cooperative institutions. That filters out vendors who don’t understand compliance, member‑ownership, or the realities of CU budgets. -
Connector of networks
They connect credit unions, leagues, and providers so you’re not re‑inventing the wheel. If another CU has already solved a member service automation issue or implemented an AI fraud platform, you can learn from their path instead of guessing. -
Accelerator of execution
Because CSS sees patterns across dozens or hundreds of institutions, they can help individual credit unions avoid common pitfalls: over‑customizing, under‑training staff, or measuring the wrong outcomes.
I’ve found that the credit unions that succeed with AI usually treat CSS and similar partners not as vendors, but as strategic guides. They bring them into conversations early, before RFPs go out and long before contracts are signed.
Where to Start: A Simple Next‑90‑Days Plan
If all of this feels big, narrow your focus. Over the next 90 days, you can make real progress without blowing up your roadmap.
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Pick one member‑impact area
- Fraud, lending, contact center, or financial wellness.
- Choose the area where pain is most obvious to members.
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Baseline your current performance
- Capture today’s numbers: response times, loss rates, approval times, satisfaction scores.
- Put those numbers in front of your leadership team.
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Engage a strategic partner
- Bring in your league relationships and CSS connections.
- Ask specifically: Who has solved this problem with AI in a credit union like ours?
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Design a focused pilot with clear success metrics
- 90‑day window, single use‑case, measurable outcome.
- Assign an internal owner and an executive sponsor.
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Plan for scale on day one
- If the pilot works, what’s the next logical expansion?
- What integrations and training will you need ready?
This approach respects limited resources while still moving your credit union firmly into AI‑enabled, member‑centric banking.
Member expectations are only going in one direction: faster, smarter, more personal. The good news for credit unions is that your cooperative DNA is built for this moment. You already exist to serve members, not shareholders.
AI, used wisely, just gives you more ways to live that mission at scale.
If you’re ready to move from talking about digital transformation to actually delivering solutions, start by tightening your network—people, resources, and tools. That’s the core of what leaders like Barb Lowman and the CUNA Strategic Services team champion every day.
The next question isn’t whether you’ll use AI, but how intentionally you’ll use it to build the kind of member‑centric banking experience that keeps your credit union at the center of your members’ financial lives.