AI should help people do more and work faster, not replace them: UOB chief

Artificial intelligence (AI) should help people to do more and do their work faster, instead of displacing them and their jobs.

- Sheila Chiang Business Correspondent

Al also cannot replace empathy in advice as well as ethics in decisions, leadership and judgment, said UOB deputy chairman and chief executive Wee Ee Cheong on Nov 12 at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2025.

“Ultimately, trust is built over time. We often hear about machines taking over people’s jobs, but if we believe that we are here to serve humanity, then our mindset should be to work alongside machines and use that to uplift everyone,” he said ina keynote speech.

“After all, when it comes to leadership successions, we are looking to pass the baton to people and not machines,” he added.

Regarding how innovation will reshape finance in the next decades, he said: “Data and AI will make finance more intelligent, predictive and inclusive, enabling deeper personalisation and giving 24/7 real-time access to advice and services.