Global Credit Union, a financial institution with $12 billion in assets, is implementing a broad technological transformation by integrating artificial intelligence and cloud-based systems to redefine its operations and member services. This strategic initiative focuses on a “people-first automation” philosophy, aiming to augment employee capabilities and enhance the experience for its 770,000 members worldwide rather than replacing personnel. The initiative reflects a wider trend among credit unions to leverage advanced technology to improve efficiency, manage risk, and deliver the personalized services necessary to compete with larger banks and fintech companies.
The core of this transformation is using AI-driven automation to handle routine tasks, which frees up employees to focus on more complex, value-added member interactions. This approach has already yielded significant results, with the credit union’s robotics program generating $250,000 in value last year, a figure projected to double in 2025. By automating key processes, Global Credit Union has saved 62,000 hours in 2025 alone. This move toward intelligent automation is mirrored across the industry, where AI is used to streamline everything from loan origination and compliance reporting to member onboarding and fraud detection, ultimately allowing staff to shift from administrative tasks to strategic, member-facing roles.
A Human-Centered Automation Strategy
At the forefront of Global Credit Union’s strategy is the principle that technology should empower, not replace, its workforce. Lori Moore, Senior Vice President of Technology Engineering, emphasizes that AI and automation serve as tools to support employees, comparing the technology to “having an enthusiastic intern at your shoulder.” This approach focuses on eliminating “context switching,” the productivity loss from shifting between tasks. For example, AI-powered systems can pre-populate member information on a service representative’s dashboard before a call, saving time and allowing the representative to address member needs proactively.
This “people-first” philosophy has delivered tangible improvements in member service. By automating the delivery of basic information like pending transactions and current balances, the credit union reduced calls to its service center by 26%, freeing up the equivalent of seven full-time employees to handle more complex member problems. To ensure the ethical and effective implementation of these technologies, the institution formed an AI committee with diverse representation from human resources, legal, compliance, and other business lines, ensuring that new solutions align with the credit union’s core values. Many credit unions are adopting similar approaches, focusing on upskilling existing employees to manage and work alongside new AI systems, rather than on reducing headcount.
Advancing Infrastructure with a Hybrid Cloud
Global Credit Union has adopted a “hybrid data centre structure” that combines on-premise infrastructure with cloud services to optimize performance, security, and flexibility. This model allows the institution to run different technologies in their most suitable environments—some on a physical network and others in the cloud—connected to form a “flexible digital fabric.” This hybrid approach has been crucial for enabling rapid innovation, allowing the credit union to provision and build new environments without the logistical delays of physical hardware setup.
Contrary to the common industry warning that cloud migration rarely saves money, Moore reports that Global Credit Union has seen significant cost savings and simplification. The flexibility of cloud architecture supports a forward-looking vision for infrastructure. Moore’s strategic roadmap includes developing a self-healing hybrid data center capable of automatically shifting workloads during disruptions, such as an earthquake, a real threat in its home state of Alaska. This automated resilience is critical for supporting its 24/7 operations for members across all US states and internationally.
The Power of Strategic Partnerships
Strategic partnerships are fundamental to Global Credit Union’s technological evolution. The institution leverages Salesforce’s Tableau platform for data analytics and its MuleSoft technology for enterprise integration. The MuleSoft platform is a key component, processing 300 million transactions annually and delivering an estimated $1.2 million in value back to the credit union and its members. Moore highlights that these are not typical vendor relationships but deep collaborations where partners are involved from the proof-of-concept stage through to full implementation and support.
This collaborative approach is rooted in the cooperative DNA of credit unions, which historically began by pooling resources. This extends to modern technology partnerships where two companies work together to achieve results neither could alone. The broader industry also relies on such partnerships, with many credit unions leveraging external vendor technology and AI-powered platforms to drive growth and service innovation, especially in areas like data analytics and machine learning. For instance, Global Credit Union also partnered with Finalytics.ai to use machine learning for delivering personalized digital experiences, which increased membership and product adoption within 12 months.
Democratizing Innovation and Future Vision
A key part of the credit union’s long-term vision is the democratization of technology and innovation across the entire organization. Moore’s philosophy centers on building technology and then sharing it widely, breaking it out of the confines of the IT department. This includes a citizen developer program that empowers business users to solve problems using no-code tools. The institution has also established innovation programs modeled on entrepreneurship, where staff can pitch ideas and receive funding to experiment.
This vision is already being realized through the deployment of two AI agents that support frontline staff by answering routine questions from existing training materials, allowing employees to maintain focus on members. Looking ahead, Moore plans to unify the automation, integration, and AI teams into a single technology engineering program that can act as a “multi-tool of solutions” for complex business problems. This integrated approach is critical as credit unions move toward what some experts call “cognitive banking,” which uses predictive analytics and advanced AI to anticipate member needs rather than simply reacting to them. By handling routine tasks, AI frees employees to provide the empathy and creative problem-solving that build member trust and loyalty.