WOCCU Releases New White Paper on Ethical AI for Credit Unions

MADISON, Wis.—World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) International Advocacy today released a whitepaper entitled Navigating the Ethical Landscape of Artificial Intelligence in Credit Unions [click here to download the paper] that is designed to equip credit union executives, boards, compliance leaders and IT teams with a step-by-step approach to deploying AI in ways that advance ethical considerations while ensuring member value, fairness, privacy and trust.

“AI can help credit unions deliver faster service, enhance risk management and provide more personalized experiences. But realizing those benefits responsibly requires clear guardrails grounded in our cooperative mission of people helping people,” said Paul Andrews, WOCCU Vice President of International Advocacy.

Andrews authored the 60-page paper with important contributions from Erin O’Hern, WOCCU International Advocacy and Regulatory Counsel. It distills a fast-moving body of research into an actionable roadmap tailored to the credit union model. Anchored in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) AI Principles, the paper translates high-level ideals into practical policies and controls credit unions can implement now.

Key highlights include:

• A concise executive summary of opportunities for member services, lending accuracy, fraud protection, personalization and operational efficiency, paired with the ethical risks that can erode trust if left unmanaged.
• An overview of the promise and peril of AI, with plain-language explanations of bias and fairness, transparency and explainability, accountability, member autonomy and privacy and security.
• A model implementation plan outlining specific phases, deliverables and roles.
• Five real-world scenarios from fraud detection and chatbots to underwriting, cybersecurity and financial wellness to show what “good” looks like in day-to-day operations.

“Ethical use of AI can’t be assumed. It must be designed,” said O’Hern. “Our recommendations help credit unions demonstrate fairness, explain decisions, secure member data and keep humans meaningfully in the loop.”

The paper also offers seven headline recommendations, including:

• adopting an enterprise Ethical AI framework.
• strengthening data governance.
• investing in explainability tools.
• defining clear accountability.
• establishing continuous monitoring and member feedback channels.

Click here to read Navigating the Ethical Landscape of Artificial Intelligence in Credit Unions in its entirety.

World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) is the apex association for credit unions and other global financial cooperatives. World Council promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. World Council advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions' financial performance and increase their outreach.

World Council has implemented 300+ technical assistance programs in 90 countries. Worldwide, 74,634 credit unions in 104 countries serve 411 million people. Learn more about World Council's impact around the world at www.woccu.org.

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