Artificial intelligence techniques for scalably detecting anomalies within payroll data for a plurality of payees are disclosed. The payroll data may comprise a plurality of payroll records that are associated with a plurality of payees, and the inventive computer system can detect anomalies via steps such as (1) processing a history of the payroll records for a payee to generate a payee-specific pay distribution model, (2) comparing the payroll record for a pay period for the payee with the payee-specific pay distribution model, (3) determining whether a payroll anomaly for the payee exists within the payroll record for the pay period for the payee based on the comparing step, (4) in response to a determination that a payroll anomaly for the payee exists, flagging the payroll anomaly for further review or analysis, and (5) performing the processing, comparing, determining, and flagging steps for a plurality of payees.