Friction and wear in metal cutting reduce efficiency and increase energy use. Conventional mineral-oil-based cutting fluids are effective in metal cutting but pose environmental and health risks, driving the need for safer alternatives. Air-stable protic ionic liquids (PILs) show promise as lubricants due to their unique properties, tribofilm formation, and tunable chemistry, particularly offering benefits for aluminum alloys, which are prone to seizure and adhesion during machining. In this work, three amino acid-based PILs, synthesized entirely from renewable, biodegradable, and biocompatible materials, are investigated as additives to water and compared with a commercially available cutting fluid in aluminum–tungsten carbide contacts. Using a ball-on-flat tribometer, results show that the addition of choline amino acid PILs to water, particularly 4 wt.% [CHO][ILEU], significantly reduces friction and wear in aluminum–tungsten carbide contacts at both room and high temperatures by forming protective tribofilms that mitigate adhesive and fatigue wear, whereas conventional cutting fluids provide inferior protection.