Singapore Treasurers Shift from AI experimentation to implementation - HSBC Report

Singapore treasury teams are already using artificial intelligence (AI) to support day-to-day activities such as reconciliation, invoice matching, forecasting and know-your-customer (KYC)-related work, according to HSBC’s Redefining Treasury in Asia Pacific 2026: Voices of Treasury Report. For its third edition, HSBC held treasury-focused roadshows across 11 Asia-Pacific markets, speaking with 680 treasury and finance professionals, including participants in Singapore.

However, while confidence in AI remains strong, expectations have become more measured as businesses gain practical experience and assess what is required to integrate and scale the technology effectively.

74% of Singapore participants expect AI to be extremely or very useful within the next three years, compared with 84% in the previous survey period. At the same time, the proportion expecting it to be only slightly useful rose from 13% to 24%.

Integration and expertise remain key barriers

This more measured outlook reflects the practical challenges businesses face as they move from experimentation towards implementation. System integration was identified as the leading barrier to AI adoption by 70% of Singapore participants, followed by a lack of expertise at 59%. For businesses seeking to make real-time treasury a reality, 39% cited technology and cybersecurity risks, while 38% identified both securing budget approval and gaining stakeholder support as key challenges.

Together, the findings point to a broader challenge: businesses need technology that can work securely with their existing systems and workflows, supported by the right expertise, investment and organisational buy-in.

“Businesses are moving from asking whether AI and real-time treasury are important to how they can make them work in practice,” said Winnie Yap, Head of Global Payments Solutions, HSBC Singapore. “Integration and expertise are central to that challenge, alongside cybersecurity, stakeholder support and a clear business case. Success requires technology that meets business needs, alongside a willingness by organisations to transform how they operate.”

HSBCnio provides a more connected way to bank

In response to the growing emphasis on practical implementation and simplifying the banking experience for corporate and institutional clients, the Bank launched HSBCnio in September 2026. Singapore is among the markets offering the full suite of digital banking capabilities. The solution brings HSBC’s services, data and intelligence directly into the channels, platforms and workflows where corporate and institutional clients manage their businesses.

HSBCnio brings together interactive channels, embedded connectivity and AI-enabled access. Clients can:

• Use a simplified web and mobile experience to view cash positions and transactions, trade loans, foreign exchange and payment tracking
• Connect their systems through APIs, bringing HSBC banking services, data and intelligence into their platforms and workflows
• Use API documentation, software development kits and a sandbox to help reduce integration friction and accelerate the path from development to production
• Enable their own AI tools to query authorised account and transaction information through HSBC’s Model Context Protocol

Ms Yap added, “For businesses in Singapore, better access to banking data can translate into greater cash visibility and more informed decisions. By reducing the time spent finding, reconciling and interpreting information, HSBCnio can give treasurers more time to focus on strategic priorities.”

HSBC plans to add further transaction banking capabilities and AI-enabled experiences over time, including Ask HSBC, an AI-enabled experience within HSBCnio designed to help clients query and interpret their banking information.

HSBC remains committed to Singapore as an international wealth and wholesale banking hub. Singapore is a priority market and the fifth-largest geographic contributor to Group profit before tax, as well as the primary wholesale offshore booking centre and wealth hub in ASEAN. HSBC continues to invest in its capability, distribution and client experience, including doubling technology spend over five years and increasing investment fivefold in the physical network, with four new Wealth Centres opened since 2024. It recently announced its plans to hire more than 100 AI specialists and establish an AI Centre of Excellence in Singapore, as well as plans to hire 100 additional relationship managers.

Media enquiries:

Betty Fong | betty.c.y.fong@hsbc.com.sg | +65 6658 4103
Clarabelle Tan | clarabelle.h.y.tan@hsbc.com.sg | +65 6658 8303