Smarter Service Starts Here: How AI is Shaping the Future of Credit Unions
At cuEngage Live 2025, Wellington IT’s James Green (Business Innovation Analyst) and Rebecca Reid (Marketing Manager) led a fascinating breakout session titled Crafting Credit Union and Member Experiences with AI. The session explored how AI is already delivering value and how Credit Unions can begin to benefit from this technology in practical, scalable ways.
AI: Passing Trend or Permanent Change?
AI is no longer just a buzzword. It’s already transforming how teams work, how members receive support, and how data is used for decision-making. Much like smartphones once were, AI is shifting from being a novelty to becoming a necessity.
Why AI Matters for Credit Unions
AI isn’t about replacing people it’s about enhancing productivity, improving service, and freeing up time for more meaningful member interactions.
Key benefits include:
- Greater productivity through automation of routine tasks
- Smarter support like AI-powered chatbots or document summarisation
- More consistent, proactive service that builds trust
Wellington IT’s internal use of Microsoft Copilot and Amazon Q has helped drive a 48% decrease in open tickets, a 17% rise in satisfaction, and 4 hours saved per person per week.
Real Use Cases in Action
Here’s how AI is already delivering results inside Wellington IT with lessons credit unions can apply too:
- Finance: AI automates spreadsheet tasks, generates formulas, and cleans data.
- HR: A Copilot-powered agent (Navi) answers policy queries, reducing time spent on HR admin.
- Meetings: Copilot in Teams transcribes and summarises discussions, capturing next steps.
- Frontline Support: Instant access to knowledge bases enables faster, first-time resolutions.
AI for Marketing & Member Comms
Rebecca Reid demonstrated how tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can:
- Brainstorm newsletter or social post ideas
- Summarise complex regulations into member-friendly language
- Draft personalised member communications
- Research competitor offers or market trends
A demo campaign for Young Farmers showed how AI can rapidly generate tailored copy for social, email, or web freeing up marketers to focus on strategy and member engagement.
Looking Ahead: AI-Powered Security & Insights
The session also explored cutting-edge use cases on the horizon:
- Advanced Scam Detection: AI analyses patterns in real time, warns users of suspicious behaviour, and has already reduced card scam losses by 30%
- AI-Powered Analytics: Natural language queries and instant dashboards make insights accessible to everyone, not just data specialists
Overcoming Challenges
Adopting AI is not without hurdles. The team identified key blockers:
- Lack of awareness or time
- Fragmented efforts across teams
- Risk concerns and unclear governance
- Choosing the right tools for the job
Wellington IT’s solution? A structured, strategic plan supported by an internal AI Committee, tailored training, and a culture that encourages experimentation.
What’s Next?
Wellington IT’s roadmap includes:
- Rolling out Copilot across all functions with training
- Building a customer-facing AI chatbot to support Credit Unions directly
- Developing AI-powered analytics dashboards for customer reporting
- Prototyping new AI tools for mobile banking and member engagement
Final Thoughts
As James and Rebecca concluded, AI doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The best way to start? Identify a small task, run a simple experiment, and build from there. Credit Unions don’t need to become tech companies they just need the right tools to stay member-focused in a digital world.
AI is not the future. It’s the present and it’s already making a difference.