Barb Lowman, President of CUNA Strategic Services, shares why understanding AI before jumping in is critical for credit unions, boards, and employees alike. From early education with boards to guiding institutions on automating mundane tasks and enabling self-service for members, Barbara shows how AI can amplify human potential rather than replace it. Along the way, she shares fun personal stories - from decoding Shakespeare on her honeymoon with ChatGPT to her hands-on philosophy for thoughtful AI adoption. Learn how education, strategy, and governance form the foundation for successful AI integration, why humans still add irreplaceable value, and how credit unions can embrace AI confidently - turning fear into opportunity, efficiency, and deeper human connections.

Kent Lugrand, President & CEO of InTouch Credit Union, calls himself an AI “tweener” — not a skeptic, not a zealot, but a leader leaning in with intention. In this compelling episode of Human x AI, Kent shares how AI is transforming decision-making, accelerating operations, and unlocking new capacity across his 70,000-member credit union. Tasks that once consumed hours now take seconds, creating space for deeper member relationships and smarter strategy. He addresses the real fears around AI, the responsibility of leadership during disruption, and why trust and human judgment remain irreplaceable. For executives navigating the AI shift, Kent offers a grounded, powerful roadmap for embracing innovation without losing your soul.

Sundeep Kapur, Founder of Digital Credence believes AI in credit unions doesn’t need to be intimidating, it just needs to be useful. As a founder and a technology educator working with multiple credit unions at once, Sundeep compares AI to GPS: you may know the route, but AI helps you find the better one. From smarter chatbots and call monitoring to biometric authentication and emerging neurosymbolic AI, he breaks down practical use cases already improving operations today. But his core message is simple: let AI handle the repetitive and mundane, so humans can focus on empathy, trust, and deeper financial conversations.

What happens when AI stops assisting, and starts acting? Brad Bergmooser, President & CEO of Financial Plus Credit Union, delivers a bold take on the next frontier: agentic AI. From automating routine calls to reimagining loan decisions, Brad explains how AI should amplify human expertise, not replace it. He tackles employee fears, unionized workforces, and the cultural shifts ahead, urging credit unions to lean in, collaborate, and lead.

His message is clear: the future of community finance won’t be boring, it will be fast, intelligent, and deeply human.

Aaron Smith, CRO of Gestalt, is an AI super-believer who built his own investing app without writing code, but he’s also the first to say there are moments when only a human will do. In this conversation, Aaron reveals why frustration is the trigger point for human intervention, why data organization is the real bottleneck, and why credit unions must move faster than ever. He warns that technology is evolving quicker than the industry’s urgency, and that hesitation invites disruption. Aaron breaks down where AI should help, where humans must lead, and how credit unions can run towards AI, not away from it.

AI can handle repetitive tasks, speed up processes, and answer routine questions, but it can’t replicate human intuition, empathy, or the ability to see a member as a person. In this episode of Human by AI, Sound Credit Union President & CEO Don Clark shares how they’re leveraging AI tools like Octobot to assist employees, not replace them, and how human touch remains at the heart of member experience. Discover how Sound CU balances automation with empathy, encourages bottom-up adoption of AI, and ensures employees can focus on what machines can’t: understanding the story behind every member interaction.

Kitsap Credit Union CEO Shawn Gilfedder believes AI isn’t here to replace humans, it’s here to elevate them. From cutting a 24-hour internal audit process down to near-real-time checks, to reviewing 100% of loan applications instead of 3%, Shawn shows how agentic AI becomes a toolkit that rides alongside employees, not over them. At Kitsap, humans still sit at the center, solving problems, thinking critically, staying curious. AI does the repetitive work; people do the meaningful work. And in Shawn’s words, the goal is simple: help employees become the “master plumbers” of their environment.

Horizon Credit Union COO Mark Neumann cuts through the AI noise with a simple truth: bots should handle the numbers so humans can handle the trust. In this grounded and deeply human conversation, Mark shares why trust can’t be automated and how AI frees employees to show up where members need them most. He breaks down the fear around “AI taking jobs,” explains how roles will evolve, not disappear, and reveals why repetitive tasks are the real bottleneck holding teams back.

As First Credit Union approaches its 100th year, President & CEO Jay Curtis is proving that tradition and innovation can go hand in hand. He shares how AI has enabled them to have more employees by freeing the team from repetitive tasks and letting them focus on growth. Along the way, Jay reveals the fun side of AI too, like crafting a birthday poem that left his child astonished.
Rooted in 97 years of heritage, First Credit Union is embracing cutting-edge technology without losing the human touch, showing how a century-old institution can stay fast, smart, and deeply connected to its members.

Nathan Cox, President & CEO of InRoads Credit Union, shares his vision for AI in banking: enhancing member experiences, empowering staff, and enabling 24/7 access, without replacing the human touch. From serving small businesses to supporting everyday members, Nathan explains how AI can create efficiency so teams can focus on deeper relationships. Learn why he believes AI is a tool for better outcomes, how he’s shaping a digital roadmap for the future, and why telling the story of AI is as important as the technology itself.