He discusses the growing threat posed by fintechs and neo-banks like Venmo, Chime, and PayPal, and why community banks must urgently adapt to remain relevant. The conversation highlights the real-world impact of bank closures, the importance of local financial institutions to communities, and the opportunities AI presents for banks willing to evolve.

This episode is a call to action for community bankers to embrace innovation, strengthen relevance, and strategically position themselves for the future of financial services.

AI is no longer a distant concept; it’s already being used to automate repetitive tasks, accelerate loan underwriting, improve compliance, and deliver 24/7 customer support. But with innovation comes disruption. Fintech challengers like Venmo, Chime, PayPal, and Stripe are leveraging AI to compete directly with community financial institutions—forcing banks to rethink how they stay relevant.

Joining the conversation is Stephen Curry of Endurance Advisory Partners, who breaks down Deloitte’s findings on the shift from chatbots to agentic AI—systems that don’t just respond, but act. With failure rates in AI implementation still high, the discussion dives into a critical issue: governance, risk, and whether traditional banking systems are built for this new era.

Together, they explore a key tension in the industry: should banks simply adopt AI tools, or fundamentally redesign how they operate around them?

This is a grounded, forward-looking conversation about strategy, survival, and what it really takes for community banks to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving financial landscape.