In an age dominated by automation and algorithms, it’s easy to assume that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) will inevitably diminish the importance of human expertise.
But for leaders in complex, high-stakes industries like payments, the reality is more nuanced and more collaborative. The traits that make a person a person, and an expert an expert, can’t be replaced. But they can be enhanced.
“AI does a great job. It’s a good asset and tool, one that I use quite often,” Maverick Payments Vice President of Product Justin Downey told PYMNTS. “But what these systems can lack is expertise and industry experience.”
At its core, leadership in payments is not about who — or what — can process more data. It is about what is done with that data. The industry’s complexity goes far beyond transactional volume and application programming interface (API) call speeds. It requires a refined blend of predictive foresight, strategic creativity and emotional intelligence — qualities that define human expertise.
They are not simply resistant to automation; they are the very traits that AI seeks to support.
“You take an industry expert, you pair them up with AI, and you go for a combined approach,” Downey said. “They can leverage the data that AI offers and enhance their offering. With both cases combined, that’s going to be a win.”
AI’s Place: Why Payments Needs More Than Just Intelligence
Downey is clear-eyed about the potential of AI. At Maverick Payments, he and his team use it as a catalyst for faster, more robust data analysis. In areas like risk management and transaction monitoring, the technology helps them navigate the complex terrain of compliance, security and customer behavior with increased precision and speed.
“When we onboard an account and do our due diligence, checking to make sure the person is who they say they are, doing the KYC [know your customer] checks. Ultimately, we can speed up by building an AI-driven data analysis process,” Downey said.
That distinction of artificial intelligence as a data miner, not a decision-maker, is key. AI can flag anomalies with remarkable precision. But deciding whether a flagged transaction represents a threat or a quirk demands judgment shaped by experience, intuition and context. In other words, AI insights must be paired with strategic business conversations to facilitate the best outcomes for partners and merchants.
In Downey’s view, the best results emerge from a “combined approach” where machines do the heavy lifting on data processing, while humans apply domain-specific judgment and contextual awareness to interpret the results.
The deeper opportunity in artificial intelligence, Downey suggested, is not to replicate human behavior, but to free professionals to operate at a higher strategic level. When repetitive, data-heavy tasks are automated, experienced staff can focus on higher-value work: making decisions, building relationships and innovating solutions.
“Anywhere that there’s lots of data and analyzing that data as a component — that’s something that is hugely beneficial,” Downey said. “It helps everybody elevate their game.”
The Myth of the AI-Only Business
What is emerging is not a battle between artificial and authentic intelligence, but a collaboration.
Augmented leadership, where AI amplifies human judgment rather than attempting to replace it, is becoming the operating model for payment executives. This hybrid model favors those who can ask the right questions of machines, interpret their answers wisely and connect them to broader strategic visions.
“AI is ultimately a powerful tool if you keep those knowledgeable staff, those experts, on your team that can use this tool and make those better decisions,” Downey said.
Downey’s philosophy of using artificial intelligence to elevate, not eliminate, human workers stands in contrast to the panic that often surrounds automation. For professionals anxious about becoming obsolete, his advice is pragmatic: embrace the tools, but double down on what only you can do.
“Take a look at just the strategic vision — that creativity element,” he said. “That’s something that industry professionals can come in and add as a component.”
This human creativity, he argued, is what has driven innovation across generations. And it’s not going anywhere. Instead of viewing artificial intelligence as a competitor, professionals should see it as a partner that allows them to scale their impact.
While the technology can be powerful tools for businesses, users should exercise caution and avoid feeding sensitive data directly into public artificial intelligence models, he said, adding it is also considered a best practice to opt for private, secure or on-premises solutions where possible. Businesses should consider regularly reviewing and understanding the data retention and privacy policies of any AI service utilized to ensure compliance and prevent unauthorized access.
