ACE25: Shawn Kanungo Pushes Credit Unions to Embrace Boldness in the Age of AI
“This wouldn’t be a keynote about disruption if you didn’t disagree with me a little,” said Shawn Kunungo, ACE25 keynote speaker, upon taking Center Stage!, setting the tone for a conversation centered not on comfort, but on challenge.
At the heart of Kanungo’s message was a call to action: credit union leaders must prepare not just for technological change, but for a new kind of intelligence entirely — what he called the Agentic Revolution. This new wave of artificial intelligence, he explained, is not just capable of thinking like us — it can act, create and drive value. And it’s moving fast.
The innovative strategist argued that the most dangerous skill in the world today is coming up with an idea. With generative AI, anything digital can be replicated, reimagined and reinvented — whether we’re ready for it or not. But this revolution isn’t just about saving time or streamlining processes.
“AI isn’t just saving us time,” he explained. “It’s rewiring our internal processes.” Instead of starting with the end in mind, AI now enables us to build with the end in mind, fundamentally changing how we approach work.
Importantly, Kanungo emphasized that AI should never be viewed as a final product or solution. Instead, it should be used as a starting point — a launchpad for innovation and creativity.
Reflecting on how power dynamics are shifting in this new era, he noted that while knowledge remains important, innovation and boldness have become the true drivers of impact. More people today have access to generative AI on their phones than have access to clean water, Kunungo said. A staggering fact that underscores just how widespread and accessible these tools have become.
With that access, he challenged the audience to ask themselves: are we bold enough to act on what we already know?
Kanungo called this moment in time the greatest opportunity for credit unions.
“For decades, you’ve been asking how to do more with less,” he said. “Today, you can do way more with way less.”
But he warned that the most disruptive force in the world isn’t AI, it’s the individual. To stay ahead, leaders must be willing to work through discomfort and uncertainty.
“Work scared until you become scary,” he advised, encouraging credit union professionals to build their fluency with AI and leverage it to their advantage.
He also addressed the risks that come with AI adoption, particularly in fraud and cybersecurity. With AI now being used to mimic voices and manipulate digital identities, he said, we are entering an era that may signal the end of digital trust.
At the same time, consumer expectations for technology have never been higher. Everything is being pushed to its most frictionless form, from how we order food to how we access financial services. But in this pursuit of efficiency, Kanungo argued, we risk losing something essential, and he called on credit unions to reintroduce meaningful friction.
He said that to be successful in the future, organizations will need to fall into one of two categories: those that are seamless and frictionless, like Amazon or McDonald’s, or those that slow things down and lean into human-centered service. In this environment, trust is a true differentiator. And it’s one that credit unions already have.
“The experience is the brand,” he concluded, reminding attendees that in an age of disruption, the human element may just be credit unions’ greatest advantage.
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