When describing mankind’s relationship with machines, UOB’s Wee turned to the bank being a trusted partner over time: “While technology is reshaping finance, I believe the human touch is irreplaceable. AI cannot replace empathy in advice, ethics in decisions, leadership and judgment. Ultimately, trust is built over time. We often hear about machines taking over people's job, but if we believe that we are here to serve humanity, then our mindset should be to work alongside machines and use technology to uplift everyone,” Wee says.
Wee Ee Cheong, group CEO, United Overseas Bank (UOB) opened the Singapore FinTech Festical (SFF) 2025 with a keynote speech that focused on FinTech but, in a year when UOB celebrated its 90th anniversary, stressed the importance of trust, culture and values. The importance of trust in banking, often a theme Wee returns to during UOB’s results briefing, was emphasised in his speech, and echoed during DBS Group Holdings’ group CEO Tan Su Shan in a fireside chat with Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of the Monetary of Singapore. “Trust remains the bedrock of finance,” Wee says.
“Singapore has always been a trusted partner for with our trading partners, our economic partners, even during Covid-19. We kept our ports open, we delivered on our goods, we honoured our commitments to the rest of the world. Trust is going to fetch a premium in today's world, where there's a lot of uncertainty, a lot of changes, a lot of volatility, what people are looking for is stability, trust and reliability,” DPM Gan says.
