In this episode of The Work Intelligence Loop, Todd Michaud is joined by Steve DuPerrieu of CSI for a conversation about where community banking goes next. The through line: banking is at an inflection point, and the institutions that treat AI as a someday problem are the ones most at risk. Steve makes the case that community banks are better positioned than most people assume, smaller, faster, closer to their customers, and able to move on new technology without the drag that slows larger institutions down.

They get into practical AI and automation use cases, how co-pilot tools are actually landing with bank staff, and where the adoption curve is heading over the next three to five years. Steve also talks about the role strategic partnerships and industry collaboration play in getting community banks access to technology they could never build alone, including CSI’s recent acquisitions and his long involvement with AFT. Underneath all of it is a point worth sitting with: the community connection is the advantage, and technology should protect it, not replace it.