As artificial intelligence continues to reshape financial services across ASEAN, discussions are increasingly focused not only on innovation and efficiency, but also on governance, trust, and resilience.

RFI Chairman Chia Hock Lai recently participated in an AI and Payments Innovation roundtable hosted by UOB and moderated by Zhu Kuang Lee. The session brought together leaders from the financial sector, technology industry, academia, and public institutions to examine how AI and next-generation payment systems are transforming the region’s digital economy.

A key theme throughout the discussion was the growing importance of responsible innovation. While advances in generative AI and real-time payments have created new opportunities for efficiency, personalisation, and financial inclusion, they have also introduced new challenges relating to accountability, consumer protection, operational resilience, and systemic risk.

Participants discussed findings from the latest UOB Business Outlook Study, which reported increasing adoption of generative AI among businesses across ASEAN. As adoption accelerates, organisations face rising expectations around governance, transparency, and responsible deployment of emerging technologies.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of building trust into financial systems from the outset. Beyond technological capabilities, long-term success depends on creating secure, transparent, and reliable customer experiences supported by robust governance frameworks and effective risk management practices.

The roundtable featured contributions from representatives across the financial services and technology ecosystem, including participants from academia, government agencies, payment networks, and innovation institutions. The exchange underscored the value of cross-sector collaboration in addressing the opportunities and challenges created by rapidly evolving technologies.

At the Responsible Fintech Institute (RFI), fostering trusted digital infrastructure and responsible innovation remains central to our mission. As AI, digital payments, and financial services continue to converge, industry collaboration will play a critical role in ensuring that innovation strengthens both economic growth and public trust.

For ASEAN’s digital economy to thrive, the region must focus not only on building faster fintech, but also safer fintech.