At Chime®, we made an early decision about how we would introduce AI to our teams: we would lead with encouragement, not requirements. As artificial intelligence becomes a bigger part of how we work, we saw an opportunity to reinforce something core to our culture—that innovation moves fastest when people feel trusted, encouraged, and empowered to experiment.
That decision led to the launch of the AI Voyager Program, an internal initiative designed to recognize Chimers who are using AI in bold, thoughtful, and values-aligned ways. Voyager celebrates the people who are testing new tools, improving workflows, uncovering insights, and sharing what they learn—helping define how AI shows up across Chime, from the inside out.
Starting With Encouragement, Not Requirements
Across the industry, companies are taking very different approaches to AI adoption. Some are moving quickly to tie it to performance reviews or job expectations. Others are holding back, waiting for a clearer roadmap.
We chose a third path, one that starts with encouragement instead of mandates.
Voyager was our first step—a program designed to spotlight and celebrate Chimers using AI in bold, thoughtful, innovative, and values-aligned ways. Whether they're saving time, improving workflows, discovering new member insights, or simply experimenting and sharing what they learned, these early adopters are helping shape how AI shows up across Chime.
"Other companies may be expecting AI fluency right away," says Josh Aziz, Chime's Director of Chimer Productivity. "We wanted to create space for curiosity. We knew that if we led with recognition, we'd help build the confidence people need to try something new—and it's working."
Connecting Culture to Impact
Voyager is one track of Apollo, the name we use internally for our broad reaching AI initiative, which aims to accelerate innovation, increase impact, and prepare our teams for the future of work. While other tracks of the Apollo program focus on tools and enablement, Voyager focuses on something equally important: how AI shows up in our culture.
It's a lightweight, evolving program run in partnership with the Chime AI Champions Network—a cross-functional group that helps nominate participants, evaluate use cases, and support adoption across teams, helping translate and embed AI into different functions and roles.
The selection criteria are mapped directly to Chime's values: boldness, collaboration, responsible design, and member obsession. In practice, that means celebrating the Chimers who are using AI for:
Boldness: Took initiative or led change—even when it wasn't easy
Impact: Made work better for teams, members, or the company
Firsts + Unblockers: Tried something new, cleared the way for others
Collaboration: Worked across roles or teams to make it happen
The goal of Voyager isn't adoption for adoption's sake. It's momentum and impact. "We're not just spotlighting use of AI—we're celebrating work that moves the needle," says Amanda Delaney, Director of People Experience at Chime. "It's not about checking a box. It's about showing what's possible when Chimers lead with curiosity and courage."
Voyager award recipients are honored at company-wide meetings, featured in our internal newsletter, and receive exclusive Chime swag—some of the most coveted to date. Because when culture shifts, impact follows.
When Chime Employees Experiment Boldly, Members Benefit
One of the clearest signals that Chime's AI Voyager program is working is the variety of AI use cases that have surfaced. Engineers are using it to streamline code reviews. Researchers are understanding member insights faster—and sharing them more broadly. Customer experience teams are building more efficient workflows. Operations teams are saving hours on planning. People teams are responding to employee requests and synthesizing recruiting feedback faster.
And the impact is showing up in the numbers:
95% of Chimers are now using AI weekly (see disclosure 1)
69% of Chimers are using AI daily (see disclosure 1)
Engineers using AI deliver features nearly twice as fast, with ~80% more code changes and ~60% faster reviews, all while maintaining quality (see disclosure 2)
75% of Chime researchers cut synthesis time from nearly a week → 1–3 days, and 100% save hours weekly (see disclosure 3)
But the real story isn't about the numbers, it's about the shift in mindset. Chimers aren't waiting to be told what to do with AI. They're experimenting, sharing, and learning together. They're not just adopting new tools—they're shaping how those tools fit into our mission.
"Innovation sparks more innovation," says Amanda. "What makes Voyager special is that it elevates the everyday builders—the ones who test, share, and improve how we work. People can even nominate themselves, privately. And we talk about it during onboarding, so new hires know: you don't have to wait to contribute. You can start building on day two."
Voyager adds something new to Chime's culture of celebration. Where Chimetacular celebrates annual impact, Voyager shines a light on in-the-moment momentum.
Looking Ahead—With Our Values in Mind
The Voyager program will continue to evolve as our tools and fluency grow. What won't change is the principle behind it: AI adoption works best when it's grounded in trust, encouragement, and clear purpose.
AI is helping us move faster and operate smarter—but people remain our greatest advantage. By empowering Chimers to lead with curiosity and accountability, we're building systems that ultimately serve our members better. That's the culture we're reinforcing and the future we're intentionally building.
