DBS wins World’s Best AI Bank for innovation & digital strategy
DBS has been recognised as the World's Best AI Bank by Global Finance in its first AI In Finance Awards 2025.
The announcement comes as DBS has been acknowledged for its strategic integration of artificial intelligence across its operations, further asserting its presence in responsible AI adoption and digital transformation within the banking sector. The Global Finance awards panel highlighted DBS' achievements based on breadth and impact of AI deployment across the organisation, as well as its commitment to responsible and transparent practices.
In addition to the main award, DBS was singled out for two further distinctions: Best Corporate/Institutional AI Bank and Best Enhanced Customer Experience in the consumer AI banks global sub-category. These awards underline the broad application of AI at the bank-not only for process optimisation and risk management, but also in its relationship with both retail and institutional customers.
Industry perspectives
Joseph Giarraputo, Founder & Editorial Director of Global Finance, said in a statement:
"DBS Bank stands out as the leading bank in AI adoption due to its early and extensive deployment of AI models, strong experimentation culture, data-driven workforce, and robust execution capabilities. DBS has implemented over 1,500 AI models across more than 370 use cases, with a projected economic impact exceeding SGD $1 billion in 2025. This commitment is further demonstrated by its transparent measurement of AI value in annual reports, the PURE framework guiding ethical AI development, and comprehensive reskilling and upskilling programmes for its employees to leverage AI as an augmentation tool."
DBS began its application of artificial intelligence in 2014 and has since invested significantly in upgrading its systems, processes, and training for staff to embed AI throughout its operations. According to the bank, AI is used both to enhance the customer experience-such as via personalised financial recommendations for retail clients-and to improve employee productivity and engagement internally. The bank's use of generative AI, including an internal tool named iCoach, amplifies these benefits by assisting staff with personalised career and development pathways.
Notable among external observers, Harvard Business School produced a case study on the bank's AI journey in 2024, remarking on the scale and comprehensiveness of DBS' AI strategy as applied within an Asian banking context.
DBS chief's response
Tan Su Shan, Chief Executive Officer at DBS, responded to the achievement with the following remarks:
"DBS is proud to be recognised globally by Global Finance for our leadership in AI. This award is a testament to our relentless pursuit of innovation and the significant investments made over the past decade. Our strong foundation has enabled us to scale transformative AI innovations across all parts of the bank - from enhancing fraud protection to empowering employees and optimising risk management. As DBS advances on our journey to be an AI-enabled bank with a heart, we remain committed to leveraging AI responsibly, blending machine intelligence with human empathy to reinforce the trust our customers place in us."
The bank's approach is built around the strategic use of AI to reinforce customer trust and augment staff capabilities, highlighting the ethical development and measurable value derived from these initiatives. The PURE framework cited in the awards-developed by DBS-offers guidance on ethical AI implementation, and the bank has embedded ongoing staff training to ensure employees are able to make full use of AI-driven processes in their roles.
Further recognition
In addition to the accolades for AI deployment, DBS also won three global titles in the 2025 Digital Bank Awards. It retained the Best Corporate/Institutional Digital Bank in the World award for the second year running, alongside wins in the Best Digital Payments Strategy and Best Open Banking APIs sub-categories. These further underscore the bank's focus on expanding its digital platform and service offerings, as well as engagement with the wider digital finance ecosystem.
Altogether, DBS secured a total of six global, 15 regional, and 52 domestic awards spanning AI and digital banking in current cycle of Global Finance's awards programmes. The cumulative award tally reflects the bank's multi-year drive towards digital transformation, and its stated intent to deliver customer-focused service using advanced digital and AI technologies.
