Connected with Experian Ep01: How AI is reshaping lending with Dan Kellett – Carmoola

AI is changing lending far beyond the buzzwords. In this first episode of Connected with Experian, Waseem Mirza speaks to Dan Kellett, Director of Lending and Data Analytics at Carmoola, about what that shift looks like in practice. From faster credit decisioning and smarter use of data to fairness, fraud and customer experience, this conversation explores how lenders can move from experimentation to real-world impact. Dan shares how Carmoola is using AI to make car finance faster and simpler, why strong data foundations matter more than ever, and where businesses should focus if they want to turn AI into something genuinely useful for customers. The discussion also looks at responsible innovation: how to balance speed with trust, why human oversight still matters, and what the future of digital-first lending could look like. In this episode: How AI is speeding up model development and decisioning Why data quality matters more than data volume The three key lending decisions: credit, affordability and fraud How customer outcomes should shape AI use cases The role of governance, fairness and human oversight Why legacy organisations can still catch up How AI could help create a more frictionless car-buying experience Memorable takeaway: As Dan puts it, the organisations most likely to succeed with AI are not the ones chasing hype, but the ones focused on clear customer outcomes and strong data foundations. About the guest: Dan Kellett is Director of Lending and Data Analytics at Carmoola, the UK digital car finance fintech focused on making car buying simpler, faster and more customer-friendly. Find out more at: https://www.carmoola.co.uk/ YouTube Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Meet Dan Kellett and Carmoola 03:20 How AI is changing lending and decision-making 05:25 What used to take months can now happen in days 08:02 The best AI use cases start with the customer outcome 11:06 A real-world example of lending making a difference 13:40 Building trust in AI-driven decisions 16:04 Why the winners in AI will be focused and able to pivot 16:37 More data is not always better 19:15 The importance of data quality in AI 22:00 The opportunities and risks of AI in financial services 25:09 Why fairness needs data and human oversight 28:00 What’s next for AI and lending?