Kuala lumpur: As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more embedded in finance, the future of the industry will need to combine human judgment with machine intelligence, guided by ethical leadership, accountability, and a culture of responsible innovation. Minister of Finance II, Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, emphasized this point during his special address at the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB) Nexus 2026 Conference today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Amir Hamzah stated that a resilient banking system depends not only on sound regulation, capital strength, and technological capability, but also on people. He stressed that the institutions that will succeed are not merely those with the most advanced systems, but those with people who can govern complexity, exercise judgment, and act with integrity.

Amir Hamzah highlighted the importance of investing in talent, viewing it as part of the sector's core infrastructure. He argued that a banking system cannot be future-ready if its people are not. He noted that through its professional standards, qualifications, leadership development, and industry platforms, AICB provides an important channel through which this capability can be built at scale, supporting a banking workforce that is capable, adaptable, and trusted.

"The government, the regulator, the industry, and the professional bodies each have a role. None can succeed alone," he added. "But the thread that connects all of them is the same thread that has always run through the best of banking: service to people, conducted with integrity."