Why AI is the future of membership knowledge (and how to get it right)
By Alex Skinner, CEO, Pixl8 Group
If you work in a membership organisation, you already know the pain.
Members need answers—about CPD requirements, industry standards, event bookings, or how to renew their membership. But where do they go? For many, it’s straight to your inbox or a phone call to your team. Despite all the carefully curated content, FAQs, and resource libraries, members still struggle to find the information they need.
At our recent MemberWise webcast, we tackled this challenge head-on: how AI can move organisations beyond frustrating search functions to intelligent findability. This isn’t just about tech—it’s about making knowledge work for your members, saving your staff from answering the same questions repeatedly, and ultimately improving member engagement.
Here’s how AI can transform your membership organisation—and why waiting for Google to do it for you is a mistake
The problem: Your knowledge is there, but members can’t find it
Most membership organisations sit on a goldmine of knowledge—policy documents, training materials, best practice guides, historical reports. But as Aika Peto, our marketing director, put it during the session:
“Knowledge is easy to come by, but good knowledge that is reliable and useful? That’s your USP. The problem is: how do you find it?”
The reality is, most membership organisations aren’t just dealing with a few FAQs. They have years—sometimes centuries—of accumulated knowledge, spread across PDFs, meeting minutes, case management systems, recorded webinars, specialist reports, and staff know-how.
Even with a solid website, members often say, “I can’t find what I need.” And that’s because:
- Traditional search doesn’t understand what they are really asking. Searching for “member benefits” might return dozens of pages, none of which answer their actual question.
- Members don’t always know what they are looking for. If they knew the exact term or document name, they could find it. But often, they just have a problem and need a solution.
- Staff end up being human search engines. Your team answers the same repetitive questions, not because members are lazy, but because it is easier to ask a human than to trawl through outdated search results.
Sound familiar? You are not alone. In fact, during our session, most organisations said their members still rely on staff to answer questions—despite having structured knowledge bases and FAQs in place.
So, what is the fix?
The AI solution: Findability, not just search
AI isn’t here to replace people—it is here to stop your staff being bogged down with easily answerable questions and help members self-serve more effectively.
The goal isn’t just better search; it is better findability.
What does that mean?
- AI doesn’t just scan for keywords; it understands context—so if a member searches for “CPD hours” but your document says “continuing professional development requirements,” AI connects the dots.
- It can extract and summarise information from webinars, meeting minutes, long PDFs, even charts—giving members direct answers instead of just links.
- AI can handle complex queries—so a member can ask, “What’s the process for filing a complaint?” and get a clear, sourced answer, rather than a generic search result.
- It can cite sources, so members (and staff) can trust the answers.
As I explained during the webcast:
“If your website search function is the last resort when someone can’t find what they need, that’s a problem. AI changes that by making your knowledge instantly accessible—whether it’s buried in a report, a case study, or a two-hour webinar recording.”
This isn’t just theory. At Pixl8, we have been testing AI-powered knowledge tools that can:
- Pull occupancy statistics from a chart inside a PDF and generate a usable table.
- Pinpoint exact sections of a recorded webinar where an issue was discussed, so members can jump straight to the answer.
- Identify the right policies based on a vague, natural-language question—even when the exact terminology doesn’t match.
It is not magic—it is better organisation of your existing knowledge, powered by AI.
Why you shouldn’t wait for Google (or ChatGPT) to do it for you
One of the biggest questions we got during the webcast was:
"If members are already using Google and ChatGPT, shouldn’t we just wait for them to catch up?"
Short answer: No.
Here’s why:
- Google and ChatGPT don’t know your members or your content. These tools work on publicly available data. If your knowledge isn’t open access, they can’t help your members find it.
- You can’t control the accuracy of AI-generated answers. AI might think it knows the answer—but if it is wrong, who is accountable? With your own AI-powered knowledge system, you control exactly what sources it references.
- Members expect you to be the authority. If your members are getting their professional advice from ChatGPT instead of your knowledge base, that is a problem. AI-powered search ensures they trust your organisation, not random AI-generated guesses.
As I explained in the session:
“The problem with putting all your information out there and hoping ChatGPT will pick it up is you have no control over how it’s used. You don’t want AI making up answers about your policies.”
Instead of waiting for external AI to catch up, membership organisations should take charge of their own knowledge management—so that AI works for you, not the other way around.
Getting started: Practical steps for AI-enhanced knowledge management
AI isn’t an all-or-nothing approach. You don’t need a fully automated AI chatbot tomorrow. But you can start small and get real value quickly.
Here’s where to begin:
- Audit your knowledge sources – Identify where key information is stored (PDFs, CRM, websites, reports, emails).
- Define your AI use cases – Do you want to improve document search? Member queries? Event information? Start with one clear goal.
- Use AI for internal efficiency first – Before members use it, let your staff test AI-powered search. If it helps them answer queries faster, it is a good sign it will work for members too.
- Pick the right AI tools – Not all AI is equal. Choose systems that cite sources, respect permissions, and integrate with your tech stack.
- Monitor and refine – AI learns. The more it is used, the smarter it gets. Track what is working, and fine-tune your approach over time.
Final thoughts: AI as an enabler, not a replacement
The future of membership knowledge isn’t about replacing people—it is about freeing them up to do more meaningful work. AI can make sure members get faster, more accurate answers, while staff focus on engagement, strategy, and delivering value.
If you are thinking about using AI for knowledge management, my advice is to start now. AI is already here—membership organisations that embrace it will be the ones that stay ahead.
Want to see it in action? Let’s chat.
Would love to hear your thoughts—what is your biggest challenge in making member knowledge more accessible?