Chad Knutson Shares AI Guidance on Grow Your Credit Union Podcast

Credit unions are exploring how to safely adopt AI, improve productivity, and prepare for the future. SBS CyberSecurity CEO Chad Knutson recently joined the Grow Your Credit Union podcast to share practical guidance and a clear message: Don’t wait to get started.

Knutson emphasized why early adoption matters, noting that credit unions need to start thinking the way technology companies do.

"We need to think like technology companies," he said. "Instead of framing it as 'I'm a technology company,' I really think we have to frame it as 'we're an AI-forward organization.'"

He encouraged credit unions to take small steps now, even if the effort feels premature or uncertain, emphasizing that incremental action can drive meaningful cultural change and position them to move faster when the time is right.

For those wondering where to begin, Knutson recommended starting at the end-user level.

"How do I empower every employee to be more productive, more successful, more informed in what they're doing?" he urged leaders to ask.

Rather than jumping straight into large-scale initiatives, he encouraged focusing on everyday tasks — preparing for client meetings, improving internal workflows, and enabling employees to do their work more confidently and efficiently.

Knutson also acknowledged the compliance questions many credit unions are weighing. Concerns about privacy, data handling, and whether tools are trained on institutional information are common, he noted, but the industry has already successfully navigated major technology shifts.

"We've come through some big challenges in the past. We did online banking. We did mobile banking. We've moved our stuff to the cloud and used Microsoft 365. We can overcome those compliance challenges."

For teams continuing their AI adoption and cybersecurity efforts, SBS offers The State of Cybersecurity in Credit Unions: 2025 Executive Report, which includes actionable insights on risk management, emerging trends, and practical next steps.

Listen to the full Grow Your Credit Union episode featuring Knutson to hear more strategies on AI adoption, vendor risk management, and exam readiness.