AI In Credit: Strategies for Quick Wins

In partnership with the National Association of Credit Management (NACM), Credit Pulse developed a two-part webinar series on AI in Credit. The goal was simple: help credit professionals cut through the hype and understand where artificial intelligence truly adds value—and where the human element still matters most.

Artificial intelligence is not a future concept. It is here today, and credit teams across industries are already learning how to put it to work. Whether it is automating credit applications, analyzing risk data, or monitoring accounts in real time, AI has become an essential tool in the modern credit function. The challenge is not whether to use AI, but how to use it wisely.

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The Credit Reality Check

AI adoption is accelerating because credit teams are under more pressure than ever. Teams are smaller, workloads are heavier, and leadership expects faster answers with higher accuracy. From onboarding new customers to managing portfolio risk, credit professionals are being asked to do more with less.

That is where the question arises:

“Should I use AI for this?”

The answer depends on the task. Some credit functions benefit from automation and pattern recognition, while others still require judgment, empathy, and experience. Knowing the difference is what separates efficient teams from risky ones.

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Where AI Excels in Credit Management

AI works best in environments that are structured, repetitive, and data-driven. These are the areas where automation saves hours of manual work and dramatically improves accuracy.

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For instance:

• Financial Statements. Automatically extract and summarize key metrics.
• ‍Instant Insights. Identify trends and anomalies in seconds.
• ‍Credit Accounts. Combine fragmented data into a single risk narrative.
• ‍Smart Risk Alerts. Detect early warning signs before problems escalate.
• ‍Credit Reviews. Pre-draft memos and highlight top risk factors.
• ‍Account MonitoringAutomate daily portfolio checks and alerts.

The goal is simple: less time searching for data and more time making decisions.

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When Humans Still Win

AI can process data faster than any analyst, but it cannot replace human context. Decisions that involve trust, negotiation, or customer relationships still belong to people.

If a client disputes a charge, misses a payment, or requests an exception, a human conversation matters more than an automated response. On the other hand, repetitive reminders, statement pulls, and data reconciliations are better handled by automation. The strongest credit teams find the balance. They use AI to remove friction, not to remove judgment.

• Customer disputes or sensitive collections --> Human
• Invoice reminders or payment follow ups --> AI & Automation
• Portfolio analysis and risk decisioning --> Hybrid

The strongest credit teams combine automation with human expertise. The balance of both creates speed without losing control.

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When is AI the Right Decision?

AI is powerful, but it is not the right answer for every situation. The smartest credit teams start by asking four simple questions before they decide whether to automate a process.

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Step 1: Does it require empathy or involve a high-stakes decision?

‍If the outcome could affect a relationship, reputation, or trust, the answer should be human. Empathy, tone, and professional discretion still outperform algorithms. For example, negotiating payment terms during a difficult financial period or resolving a long-standing dispute are best handled by a person.

If the outcome affects a customer relationship, reputation, or trust, it belongs with a human. Empathy, negotiation, and judgment are still best made by people, not machines.

Examples:

• Working through a customer dispute
• Handling a sensitive collections conversation
• Adjusting terms during a business downturn

Best fit: Human decision-making
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Step 2: Does it require understanding unstructured data?

‍If information lives in PDFs, emails, or free text, AI is the right choice. It can read, categorize, and summarize large volumes of data far faster than a human review. Credit teams use AI to extract details from credit applications, summarize customer communications, or interpret qualitative notes in risk files.

If the data comes from documents, emails, or free text and needs interpretation, AI can help find meaning faster than a manual review. AI can read, categorize, and summarize large volumes of unstructured data that would take a person hours.

Examples:

• Extracting details from PDF credit applications
• Summarizing customer communications
• Interpreting qualitative notes or risk comments

Best fit: AI

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Step 3: Is it rules-based, repetitive, and structured?

‍When the work follows a defined pattern, robotic process automation (RPA) is the answer. RPA can update systems, send reminders, and pull reports on schedule with near-zero error.

Examples:

• Pulling reports from the same sources every week
• Updating customer records in your ERP or CRM
• Sending reminders or follow-up notices

Best fit: RPA
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Step 4: Is it a mix of data and judgment?

‍This is where hybrid systems shine. AI handles the heavy data work—gathering insights, calculating scores, and flagging anomalies—while humans validate the output and make final decisions. Reviewing borderline accounts, setting credit limits, or deciding when to escalate a case all fit this category.

Examples:

• Reviewing borderline credit applications
• Flagging accounts for hold or escalation
• Validating AI-generated credit recommendations

Best fit: Hybrid human-AI workflow

The Bottom Line

AI should not replace people. It should replace the grunt work that keeps people from doing strategic, high-value tasks. Use humans for empathy, AI for insight, RPA for repetition, and hybrid systems for balance. That is how modern credit teams move faster without losing control.

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Choosing the Right AI for the Job

Not all AI tools are created equal. The best choice depends on your company’s size, data, and workflow complexity.

Embedded AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, or Salesforce Einstein work inside the systems teams already use, but they offer limited customization. Frontier models like ChatGPT Enterprise and Claude for Teams enable secure, custom assistants that can adapt to your data, though they require training and adoption to be effective.

For specialized use cases, verticalized AI platforms are the most powerful. Tools like Harvey in law, Eightfold in HR, and Credit Pulse in credit management are built specifically for the nuances of those functions. They understand your workflows, data structure, and compliance requirements, which leads to faster time to value.

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A Simple Playbook to Get Started

1. Foundational: Simplify the Manual

‍Start small by automating tasks that are time-consuming but low risk. Extract fields from PDF credit applications, generate collections emails, or summarize customer data.

Example Prompt:

“Generate a collections email for a past-due customer using a professional but firm tone.”

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2. Uplevel: Predict and Prioritize‍

Once the basics are automated, use AI to identify risk earlier. Predict late payments or potential bankruptcies, and monitor accounts for changes in payment behavior or hiring trends.

• Predict late payments and bankruptcies
• Monitor accounts for real-time changes
• Segment customers by risk level and growth potential

Example Prompt:

“Analyze this customer’s financials and predict the likelihood of payment delay within 90 days.”

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3. Transformational: Turn Insight Into Action

‍Integrate AI into your daily workflows so insights lead directly to decisions. Automatically draft credit review memos, flag accounts for credit hold, and share risk insights across finance and sales teams.

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• Draft data-backed credit review memos
• Flag accounts automatically for review or credit hold
• Share portfolio insights across finance and sales teams

Example Prompt:

“Create a credit review summary for this customer and recommend next steps.”

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The Result: Real Wins That Compound

Top-performing credit teams follow the same playbook. They start small, test ideas quickly, and scale what works. They collaborate across departments and continuously refine their processes. And most importantly, they use AI to enhance—not replace—their expertise.

✅ Start small and build momentum
✅ Keep experimenting and share your wins
✅ Evolve from automation to prediction to transformation
✅ Collaborate across teams to maximize the impact

AI is not about cutting headcount or chasing trends. It is about giving credit professionals better visibility, faster answers, and more confidence in every decision.

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Free Resource: Credit AI Prompt Library

Looking for inspiration? Explore the Credit Pulse AI Prompt Library to access more than 50 free prompts for credit and collections professionals.

Use them to experiment with automation, create AI workflows, and start building your own intelligent credit processes.

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