‘Human judgment’ is vital even with AI’s introduction: HSBC CEO
He insists people are still key, and that it can even mean more hiring in the future
Published Mon, Jun 8, 2026 · 05:55 PM
[LONDON] HSBC CEO Georges Elhedery said that people will remain central to banks, even as artificial intelligence becomes ubiquitous.
His remarks come as many CEO comments in recent weeks have rattled staffers about the future of the industry.
“I need human judgment, I need human decision-making, I need human accountability at the core,” he said.
He noted that AI would allow for a revolution in the way banks served their clients, with the potential for productivity gains and hyper-personalised services.
However, he insisted people were still key, and that it could even mean more hiring in the future.
Many banks have announced plans to cut jobs in recent months, as they prepare to implement AI to make tasks faster and more efficient.
When Standard Chartered said that it planned to eliminate jobs, its CEO Bill Winters sparked controversy after noting that AI would lead to the replacement of what he termed “lower-value human capital”.
He subsequently apologised for his remarks.
Bloomberg has reported that HSBC is weighing the cutting of as many as 20,000 roles, or about 10 per cent of its workforce in the coming years, as a result of AI.
“The bank of the future means more capabilities,” Elhedery said. “I would like to be able to accelerate and bring forward a lot of ambitious deliverables we have for the future, and that requires investment, and that is job creation.”
HSBC is working to integrate AI in its business and is already using it for know-your-customer compliance checks, among other functions, he added. BLOOMBERG
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