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The term artificial intelligence (AI for short) has attained buzzword status, and not in an entirely positive sense. Too often the technology is seen as a way to replace humans with machines. However, as the newest SRM Academy report, "From Artificial Intelligence to Intelligent Automation: A Playbook for Financial Institutions" makes clear, this is a “glass half empty” perception that banks and credit unions cannot allow to slow their adoption of this transformation tool.

Large name-brand financial institutions have already launched numerous AI initiatives with mostly positive results. There are ample opportunities for smaller institutions to follow suit with proof of concept projects that can garner internal support and expertise. Otherwise, as AI is increasingly used to enhance the consumer’s experience, regional and community players risk facing an increasing gap in their competition for the next generation of consumers.   

Buckle up: we’re in for a ride. Regardless of your political persuasion, all signs point to an extended stretch of market volatility as we head into the 2020 election cycle, which by many measures is already hitting its stride. The 2020 budget season is playing out against this backdrop, with budget-setters up against even greater uncertainty than usual. The question looms, as the political barrage reaches new heights in 2020, how can banks and credit unions remain flexible to the economic variables? 

My SRM colleagues in Europe (see parts 1, 2 and 3) and Atlanta have already written about what it would be like to live in a cashless world, but recently, some municipalities in the United States have bucked the conventional wisdom by pushing back against the notion of cashless stores in the name of financial inclusion. A rash of new research also indicates that the long touted “death of cash” is not the imminent event often implied by industry pundits and reporters.

Here’s a quick overview of recent data and developments.