No black boxes allowed: Secure, explainable AI for financial institutions (with Danny Piangerelli)

As AI adoption accelerates across financial services, banks and credit unions face a critical challenge: how to innovate without compromising trust, transparency, or regulatory compliance. In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, we sit down with Danny Piangerelli, Chief Technology Officer at Abrigo, to explore how Abrigo is building and scaling AI responsibly within highly regulated environments.

Listen in to learn how explainability and auditability are embedded into AI-driven solutions, why “human-in-the-loop” design remains essential, and how Abrigo’s agentic framework—including AskAbrigo—is transforming how financial institutions securely interact with their data. Danny also shares how AI is reshaping software development, empowering teams through an “Iron Man” approach, and what fintech leaders should consider as they navigate the balance between innovation and stability.

About the guest:

Danny Piangerelli is Chief Technology Officer at Abrigo, where he leads the company’s technology strategy and innovation efforts across AI, data, and software development. With decades of experience building scalable, compliant solutions for financial institutions, Danny focuses on delivering secure, transparent, and high-performing products that meet the evolving demands of regulated environments. He has been instrumental in advancing Abrigo’s AI capabilities, including the development of explainable machine learning models, agent-based frameworks like AskAbrigo, and modernized development practices that accelerate product delivery while maintaining rigorous standards for auditability and trust. 

Helpful links:

AskAbrigo: Secure AI-powered knowledge and data interaction

Bold intelligence: AI’s expanding role in AML & fraud

5 Common lending challenges and how lending software can help

CU AI strategy: From adoption to operational advantage - Abrigo