AI and gender inequality: DBS’ Tan Su Shan and former Singapore president Halimah Yacob look at rising risks

[SINGAPORE] Tan Su Shan, chief executive of DBS Bank, and former Singapore president Halimah Yacob discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) could reinforce gender inequality, during a fireside chat on Wednesday (Apr 1).

The discussion, held at DBS’ annual International Women’s Day event, explored how AI systems may amplify bias against women.

Tan highlighted that such risks often stem from AI training data, which is largely sourced from the Internet.

“AI scrapes (information from) the Internet, including far-right and far-left (views); it will inevitably be biased,” she said. “AI, at the end of the day, is a stochastic parrot.”

She added that these systems are designed to “please the reader”, which could potentially entrench prevailing viewpoints.

Both speakers noted that AI systems learn from historical data and may replicate real-world inequalities – for instance, favouring male candidates in salary algorithms or reinforcing stereotypical portrayals of women in generated content.

Halimah – Singapore’s first female president – cautioned that AI’s technical bias could shape societal perceptions of women in ways that undermine gender parity.

“This is my concern – that AI, that is meant to provide greater gender equality, actually widens gender inequality.”

She added that AI could contribute to the sexualisation of women, particularly through generative tools that produce images or content without adequate safeguards. She cited recent cases of AI tool Grok being used to create sexualised images of women and children – an issue that has drawn regulatory and public attention globally.

Managing AI risks in the workplace

Halimah, who is now chancellor of the Singapore University of Social Sciences, also emphasised the need for users to remain “conscious” of AI’s impact on the workplace, particularly in recruitment and career development.

“AI should not be replacing us, it should be our assistant,” she noted.

Tan stressed the importance of human oversight, noting the need for both “humans in the loop and on top of the loop” to ensure that AI is deployed safely and neutrally.

DBS was named World’s Best AI Bank at the Global Finance AI in Finance Awards 2025, underscoring its position as a leader in AI adoption while also placing it at the forefront of managing associated risks.

Women as leaders

The discussion also covered the speakers’ leadership journeys as women and how they navigate an environment shaped by geopolitical tensions and technological change.

This included Tan’s role in founding the Financial Women’s Association Singapore in 2001, aimed at creating “a platform for women in finance, (not only) to create mentor-mentee relationships, but also to help women in their professional and personal growth agenda”. 

“I set it up as a platform for women to practise being good leaders,” she said.

The association aims to drive professionalism in the financial sector, with special emphasis on the role of women and the development of future leaders.

Tan just completed her first year leading South-east Asia’s largest bank, after succeeding Piyush Gupta in March 2025. She is the first woman to serve as the lender’s CEO.

DBS noted that women comprise 49 per cent of its 40,000 employees across 19 markets.

Women hold 41 per cent of senior management roles, from senior vice-president to managing director positions. The bank added that it has also achieved 30 per cent female board representation – meeting its 2030 target five years ahead of schedule.