Where AI Meets Accountability: One UNC Charlotte Doctoral Student Is Rethinking the Future of Finance
The future of artificial intelligence isn’t on the horizon. It’s already here, being built, tested and rolled out in real time.
For David Wilkins, it’s not just something to watch. It’s something to help shape, especially in the world he knows best: financial systems.
By day, David works in Bank of America’s global payments division, helping manage the systems that move money around the world. It’s complex, high-stakes work where precision matters and small errors can have big consequences. But increasingly, his focus has begun to expand beyond how those systems run to how they are governed.
That shift led him to UNC Charlotte, where he is pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration. His research centers on the real-world application of artificial intelligence, focusing on how organizations in banking and financial services can implement and govern AI responsibly.
Wilkins describes himself as someone who is always learning, but for him, growth is about more than curiosity. It is about accountability.
“When you’re making decisions that can impact thousands of people, you need more than just your gut,” he said.
That perspective was shaped over time, not through a straight path.
After high school, he explored a range of jobs, from installing satellite systems to working at UPS. But once he mastered a role, he found himself restless.
“I realized once I learned a process, I got bored,” said David. “It felt like I was doing the same thing every day.”
Looking for something more, he returned to school and joined the Air Force, where he worked in cyber operations. The experience gave him a technical foundation, but it also exposed him to the complexity of large systems and the importance of making informed decisions.
That understanding deepened in one of his first civilian roles. As a collections specialist, he spoke daily with people navigating high-interest auto loans. The conversations were often emotional, sometimes confrontational, and always real.
“It was a roller coaster,” he says. “One person would be crying, another would be cussing me out.”
It was not a role he planned to stay in, but it left an impression. It showed him how financial systems affect people on a personal level, and that perspective continues to shape his work today.
Now, at Bank of America, David helps oversee the deployment of software across payment systems. As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into those systems, his academic and professional interests have started to align.
At UNC Charlotte, he is focused on how AI can be implemented within financial systems in a way that balances innovation with oversight. From generative AI to large language models, the possibilities are expanding quickly. But what stands out to him is how the technology is evolving.
“What I found fascinating was that now they’re starting to use AI to govern AI,” he said.
For David, that idea reinforces the need for thoughtful implementation, especially in industries where trust and regulation are critical.
“I feel like it’s my responsibility…to help usher that transition thoughtfully,” he said.
He emphasizes the importance of keeping “a human in the loop.”
Pursuing a doctorate while working full time is not easy, but Wilkins has support. Through a partnership between Bank of America and UNC Charlotte, he receives tuition assistance, which he says has been “very critical.”
For him, the DBA is more than a degree. It is a personal milestone and a way to keep moving forward.
“I think it comes down to… offering something meaningful to the world,” he said.
And in a field that is evolving as quickly as artificial intelligence, that sense of purpose may matter as much as the technology itself.
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