Discussing the future of AI in Singapore and Asia: DBS conference

[SINGAPORE] DBS is behind an upcoming conference which is gathering influential voices across technology, business, policy and investment to explore how artificial intelligence can be applied to shape Asia’s next wave of growth. 

It comes as the bank seeks to establish itself as a trusted and neutral interlocutor that can connect capital, foster innovation and provide trusted governance to help AI-led solutions scale across Asia, said the bank’s chief executive officer Tan Su Shan.

She was speaking to The Business Times ahead of the bank’s inaugural DBS Asia Future Forward Conference on Oct 12. 

The conference is anchored by the theme of Intentional AI: the belief that the greatest impact of AI lies not in the technology itself, but in how it is applied with strategic intent to create real economic and societal value.

The background to this conference, Tan said, is that DBS “wants to create a platform to learn and explore key questions arising from the next phase of AI growth”.

With the world at the crossroads of geopolitics and tech inflection points, there are concerns about what AI will do to jobs. 

But as a society, “there are ways we can harness AI for good”, she said, where AI is deployed with intention, to create useful and measurable impact. At the same time, the conference will also discuss the potential risks of AI and the importance of rethinking strategies “so that as a collective we stay ahead”.

She is confident that Singapore can play an important role in Asia’s AI future. Being a neutral and trusted hub for capital, talent and innovation is highly relevant in the AI era, she added. 

Already in terms of capital, Singapore is the world’s second-largest destination for foreign direct investment in 2025 after the United States. Despite its small size, Singapore has demonstrated its ability to attract capital, she said.

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One example is semiconductor giant Micron’s S$30 billion investment in Singapore, a sign that the city-state is able to attract significant investment from the AI ecosystem, Tan said. 

With Singapore assuming the chair of Asean in 2027, Tan noted that there is further opportunity to strengthen regional connectivity and help promising solutions scale across South-east Asia.

The one-day conference features speakers from all layers of the AI value chain, from the chips and infrastructure powering AI, the platforms deploying it, the enterprises being transformed by it, to the investors backing its growth. 

Speakers will include Intel CEO Tan Lip-Bu and Broadom CEO Hock Tan, both of whom are Asian-born leaders of companies that provide the chips and infrastructure that make AI possible. 

Other global heavyweights include TikTok CEO Shou Chew, Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson and Danantara chief investment officer Pandu Sjahrir. Another session with best-selling Canadian author and futurist Salim Ismail, will explore what it takes for companies to remain competitive in an AI world.

The conference will round off with Tan hosting a dialogue with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

DBS has invested in AI for more than a decade, beginning with building its data and machine-learning capabilities. This foundation is now supporting the growing use of generative and agentic AI across the bank.