The Five Questions You Should Be Asking about AI

Is it just me or does it feel like AI has moved into our lives almost overnight? Just last year at this time, it seemed like something I mostly heard talked about in theory. Now it shows up in our inboxes and on every app in our phones…sometimes without any warning. And because it’s changing so quickly and becoming so present in our lives, I find myself wanting to slow down and ask a simple question: are we using AI in a way that truly supports us?

Thankfully, our friends at the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) are helping us think this through. They recently released a whitepaper, Navigating the Ethical Landscape of AI in Credit Unions (free for everyone, by the way!), that gives credit unions practical pathways for weaving AI into day‑to‑day operations, and it outlines a handful of considerations we should be keeping front and center as we do it. 

While it’s a great guide and I recommend digging into it, I also know teams are busy, and long whitepapers — no matter how good — can sit on the To Read pile for a while. So I wanted to share a few questions that are inspired by both the paper and things I’ve held onto from hearing various AI experts at events throughout the last year. I think these questions will offer a useful way to frame AI and talk about it as a broader movement.

Additionally, I think we can all agree that whenever we bring in a third‑party partner — whether it involves AI or anything else — the responsibility ultimately stays with the credit union. Due diligence and regulatory scrutiny don’t get outsourced. That’s why it’s so important to think through a few key questions around AI now. These are the same areas our regulators will focus on, so taking the time to work through them puts us in a stronger position.

1. Are our AI tools truly fair?

Whether it’s lending, fraud prevention, collections or marketing, AI can help us move faster. But moving faster doesn’t automatically mean we’re being fair. We know that AI can unintentionally amplify bias if we’re not testing and monitoring it closely. And if we don’t understand the data behind these tools, it becomes hard to trust the decisions they’re shaping.

As credit unions, we have a responsibility to make sure any technology we bring in supports our commitment to serving every member equitably.

2. Can we explain our AI-driven decisions?

One phrase I’ve heard again and again on industry panels is this: AI can’t be a black box. If a member asks, “Why was I denied?” or a regulator asks how a system reached a conclusion, we need clear and transparent answers. This is bigger than a compliance issue, this is a trust issue. When members understand how decisions are made, they trust us to use technology responsibly and transparently.

3. Who is accountable when AI gets it wrong?

AI can help us make decisions, but it can’t stand in for us when something goes wrong. That responsibility still belongs to us. Credit unions should be crystal clear about who oversees each AI‑enabled system, who monitors performance and how members can provide feedback. AI can play a role, but we’re the ones who have to stand behind every decision it influences

4. Are we collecting only what we truly need?

The biggest question surrounding all technology right now is, of course, about privacy and data security. And as AI becomes more powerful and more integrated into everything we do, our responsibility to protect people’s information only grows.

Data, when used thoughtfully, is a good thing. And AI can be used to collect data in ways that helps us understand our members more fully and allows us to meet their needs in smarter, more personalized ways. But there’s a balance to strike. Collecting more data than we truly need can create risk, both for our security standards and for the trust our members place in us.

5. Is AI helping us live out our mission?

Adopting new systems and adding change is never easy. It takes time, training and collective buy-in. But at the end of the day, all of that effort is only worth it if the technology moves us in the direction we want to go. There’s no doubt that AI can be a tool that supports the credit union mission. It can highlight opportunities, simplify choices and help us guide members toward their financial needs. But it has to do so in a way that respects their choices. If AI starts steering people instead of supporting them, or adds complexity instead of clarity, then it’s not serving our purpose.

These five questions aren’t meant to be a checklist that solves everything. These are just the things I hope our movement keeps in mind as we step into this new era. AI is changing quickly, and we’re all learning as we go. But what gives me confidence is that credit unions already start from a good place. Being transparent and putting members first are already embedded in our values, and staying grounded in those strengths will lead us where we need to go.

You can download WOCCU’s whitepaper here: Navigating the Ethical Landscape of Artificial Intelligence in Credit Unions.

Thanks for reading.

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