The financial services industry is reaching an inflection point as institutions face mounting pressure to maximize the potential of AI or risk falling behind.  

Winners and losers will emerge over the next 12 to 24 months as AI becomes embedded into every financial institution to some degree, Red Rocks Credit Union Chief Executive Darius Wise said March 30 during a panel discussion at Fintech Meetup 2026 in Las Vegas. 

“There’s really three differentiators in terms of winners and losers and how [AI] is used,” he said. “I think the winners will use it to strengthen trust, personalization and human connection.” 

To achieve this, FIs must understand how an AI solution aligns with their overall strategy, rather than merely focusing on the problem that the technology is addressing, Wise said.  

“So, the biggest challenge isn’t technology itself,” he said. “It’s how you implement it and make it useful for members” and customers. 

For example, Red Rocks in November launched its agentic AI assistant, Roxie, to handle routine inquiries so that employees could focus on more complex, higher-value interactions, Wise said. Roxy has since handled roughly 9,000 calls, fully resolving 78% of them without human intervention.  

“The key takeaway for us is start with a focus problem in mind, and solve toward that overarching strategy,” he said. 

“Back your way into AI solutions that can help.”

— Darius Wise, CEO, Red Rocks Credit Unions

Building AI culture 

Fostering a culture in which employees view AI as a performance enhancer rather than a job eliminator is another key to winning the innovation race, Grasshopper Bank CEO Mike Butler told FinAi News. 

“We’ve been able to teach people how to use AI, rather than have them scared,” he said.  

To help build a strong culture, the $1.6 billion bank has formed an AI committee that generates ideas from the bottom up and demonstrates how to maximize AI tools based on proven use cases, Butler said.  

This strategy yields happier employees, which leads to better performance, greater efficiencies and higher customer satisfaction, he said.  

“We surely have been able to grow at a faster pace without adding bodies,” he said.  

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