In the rapidly evolving world of technology, organizations are increasingly turning to generative AI (GenAI) and automation to streamline operations, enhance efficiency and drive innovation. At the AAA, these advancements are not just buzzwords—they're being actively explored and implemented across key departments. To gain deeper insights into how GenAI and automation are shaping the future of work at the AAA, we spoke with several leaders across operational business departments. Eric Dill, SVP and Chief People Officer; Anne Losada, AVP of People Strategy & Enablement; Esther Patel, AVP of People Systems and Workforce; Kelly Weisbrod, Chief Financial Officer; and Dominick Ripo, VP of Financial Planning and Strategy, all shared their perspectives on the most impactful enhancements underway in their respective areas.

Transforming HR with AI-Powered Efficiency

As part of its ongoing commitment to innovation and employee experience, the AAA has integrated GenAI and automation into its HR operations—beginning with the successful rollout of AAAlex an internal HR chatbot designed to handle routine employee inquiries. AAAlex was designed to handle routine employee questions like “How many vacation days do I have?” or “Who is my HR representative?” These everyday inquiries, once time-consuming for HR staff, are now resolved instantly saving the team an estimated 10 to 12 hours per month and enabling a sharper focus on strategic work. “Our goal with AAAlex wasn’t just to answer HR questions faster, it was to lay the foundation for a smarter, more responsive HR,” said Esther Patel. “With AI-powered metrics, we’re learning what employees need, where support gaps exist, and how much time we’re saving. We’re now building a manager-facing chatbot to extend that impact even further.”

AAAlex was just the beginning.

GenAI is now embedded across the AAA’s HR platforms, streamlining everything from performance management in Quantum Workplace to a soon-to-launch career pathing tool that offers personalized growth plans based on skills, job requirements, and employee interests.

In performance reviews, GenAI assists with summarizing self-assessments and suggesting feedback language, making the process faster and more thoughtful. It’s also been used to refresh job descriptions across the organization, keeping them accurate and aligned with evolving workplace standards.

Building on this foundation, Anne Losada is leading implementation of Quantum Workplace’s Growth platform—a powerful AI-driven solution that delivers tailored development plans, real-time coaching suggestions, and transparent career pathways. “The platform, which is slated for Q3, will enable employees to reflect on their strengths and aspirations through guided assessments, generating actionable, role-specific growth plans aligned with business goals,” said Anne Losada.  For managers, the tool unlocks deeper visibility into team development and career interests, empowering more effective coaching and support. Growth planning is embedded directly into the employees’ day-to-day workflow, allowing continuous skill-building without disrupting productivity. This scalable, insight-driven approach will help ensure that employee development is not only personalized but also measurable and strategically aligned.

Perhaps most forward-thinking is how HR teams are using GenAI in real-time collaboration. In project meetings, team members now engage AI assistants using voice prompts—not for transcription, but as active contributors offering creative input and insights on the spot.

As GenAI advances, the AAA envisions an AI-powered support system where every manager has a virtual HR partner—ready to answer questions, suggest solutions, and surface relevant policies in real time. Human professionals will always lead with empathy and strategy, but AI will enhance productivity and decision-making at every level.

“AI should not be viewed as a replacement for human labor, but as a collaborator,” says Eric Dill, AAA’s SVP and Chief People Officer. “Agentic AI models can analyze complex systems, generate novel insights, and support creative decision-making, and we see this as a game-changer for the future of HR, and we are consistently asking ‘what new capabilities can we unlock?’  Instead of HR professionals acting as business partners for everyone, we imagine a world where our team develops and tunes Agentic HR Agents to provide personalized support to employees to track goals and development plans, recommend mentorship or learning opportunities, and even nudging on well-being (e.g., suggesting vacation time off).”

Reimagining Finance: From Automation to Analytics

The finance team is also embracing GenAI and automation to drive smarter operations and more strategic focus. One of the biggest priorities is the involvement in the DDRC project. We're dedicating significant resources to designing and optimizing the financial operations within the new case management system, which is scheduled to roll out later this year. This project is a major focus for many members of the finance team and represents a significant step forward in modernizing processes.

In addition, they’re actively working on implementing foreign currency capabilities—specifically, integrating the euro into financial operations. The team is collaborating closely with the IS team to ensure a smooth implementation. This enhancement will support greater flexibility and efficiency in international transactions.

Expanding Our Financial Capabilities: Euro Integration Underway

Frank Rossi and his team are currently pursuing a caseload in Ireland, which has created an exciting opportunity for the AAA to expand financial operations internationally. To support this growth, they’re beginning to implement the ability to manage case finances in euros.

This initiative will roll out in two phases:

• Phase One focuses on enabling the submission of payments and the receipt of disbursements in euros. This will lay the foundation for smooth financial transactions for the Ireland caseload.
• Phase Two will introduce a fully euro-based fee schedule. In this phase, entire cases will operate in euros—including billing, arbitrator compensation and all related financial transactions.

Bank Migration & Intelligent Receivables

In 2024, the AAA migrated from Wells Fargo to Bank of America. While the bulk of the transition is complete, the final phase is kicking off this spring: automation through Bank of America’s Intelligent Receivables. This AI-powered system will process check payments by scanning check and stub images, identifying the appropriate invoices and automatically applying payments in NetSuite. It's a smart, streamlined solution that enhances accuracy and saves time.

Automation Tools in Action

They’re also expanding automation capabilities using two main tools:

• Automation Anywhere: An RPA (Robotic Process Automation) tool that allows for automating repetitive tasks like applying payments, pulling reports, sending emails and reconciling data. Implementation began in early 2024 and continue to roll out new automated tasks each quarter.
• Alteryx: This tool helps to manipulate and format large data sets. It's especially useful for combining and preparing reports for import into NetSuite. While Automation Anywhere handles more complex task sequences, Alteryx excels at data transformation and reporting support.

DataRails Implementation

The newest initiative is the implementation of DataRails, a financial business intelligence platform designed specifically for financial data analytics. Unlike general tools like Tableau, DataRails is tailored for finance and integrates seamlessly with NetSuite.

They’re currently in the rollout phase, with plans to extend access to non-finance departments in May. Teams will have access to customized dashboards covering budget reports, month-end close, revenue recognition, expense details and more—bringing powerful insights to everyone’s fingertips.

Evolving with Automation: Working Smarter in Finance

This year, the AAA’s finance team remains focused on harnessing AI and automation—not just to stay current, but to fundamentally transform how work gets done. Traditional accounting tasks, often manual and repetitive, are being reimagined through automation, freeing staff from time-consuming processes that can now be completed with greater speed and accuracy.
By streamlining these routine tasks, the team has shifted its energy toward higher-value work such as critical analysis, forecasting, and strategic financial support. Instead of manually building reports, team members now access real-time dashboards, dive deeper into revenue recognition, and identify trends in expenses with greater efficiency.

These innovations have also enhanced collaboration with shared services and business development teams. With faster, more accurate access to financial data, department leaders can make informed decisions more quickly strengthening AAA’s overall operational agility and insight-driven culture.

One Vision, One Goal: Empower People with Technology

Whether it's answering HR questions in seconds or generating finance dashboards on demand, the AAA is redefining what workplace support looks like through GenAI and automation. These tools aren’t replacing people—they’re amplifying them. By automating the routine, employees can focus on the meaningful: strategic thinking, collaboration and innovation.

And with even more advancements on the horizon, the AAA is building more than just efficient operations—it’s building the future of work.