Ask vs answer: the human edge AI can’t replicate
Would you trust AI with your money? Only 8 per cent do. HSBC's Ishan Sarkar joins Money Hacks to explore why humans should still and will always make the final call.
Seventy-six per cent of Singaporean investors use AI to crunch numbers on their portfolios. Just 8 per cent trust it to make the final call. That gap, between using AI for analysis and trusting it with conviction, is at the heart of a new HSBC study on how wealth clients are actually integrating artificial intelligence into their financial lives.
In this episode of Money Hacks, a podcast from The Business Times, Howie Lim speaks with Ishan Sarkar, head of Wealth and Premier Solutions at HSBC Singapore, about why the human advisor remains stubbornly relevant even as AI gets faster and more capable, and what that means for investors at every wealth level.
Why listen
- Why AI has collapsed the information barrier, not created a luxury advisory good Sarkar explains why wealthier clients leaning more heavily on human advice does not mean high-touch wealth management is becoming exclusive. If anything, AI is letting relationship managers serve far more clients meaningfully than before.
- What ask versus answer actually means in practice AI responds to your prompts, biases and all A human advisor asks questions first. Sarkar explains why that distinction matters enormously when markets get volatile.
- Why Singapore’s Gen Z investors want human guidance more than the global average Forty-five per cent of Gen Z investors in Singapore say they rely on a human in the loop, compared to a global average of thirty-eight per cent. Sarkar unpacks what that reveals about how younger investors actually think.
- Why the Middle East conflict became the clearest test case for AI’s limits Client interactions peaked in the weeks following the conflict, even though market data showed little immediate reaction. Sarkar explains what that gap between data and human anxiety reveals about where AI genuinely falls short.
The future is not about AI replacing the human advisor. It is about what becomes possible when the two work together. Listen now.
Discover more episodes at bt.sg/podcasts. Got feedback? Email us at btpodcasts@sph.com.sg.
---
Written and hosted by: Howie Lim (howielim@sph.com.sg)
With Ishan Sarkar, head of wealth and premier solutions, HSBC Singapore
Edited by: Howie Lim & Claressa Monteiro
Produced by: Howie Lim & Chai Pei Chieh
A podcast by BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media
---
Follow BT Money Hacks podcasts every Monday:
Channel: bt.sg/btmoneyhacks
Amazon: bt.sg/mham
Apple Podcasts: bt.sg/oeXe
Spotify: bt.sg/oeGN
YouTube Music: bt.sg/mhyt
Website: bt.sg/moneyhacks
Do note: This podcast is meant to provide general information only. SPH Media accepts no liability for loss arising from any reliance on the podcast or use of third party’s products and services. Please consult professional advisors for independent advice.
---
Discover more BT podcast series:
BT Correspondents: bt.sg/btcobt
BT Market Focus at: bt.sg/btmktfocus
BT Podcasts at: bt.sg/pcOM
BT Lens On: bt.sg/btlenson
Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Money Hacks is a crisp, weekly podcast hosted by Howie Lim. Every Monday, it unpacks personal finance strategies and investing insights through conversations with expert guests. Whether it’s navigating employee perks, finding resilient sectors, or exploring value-based investing, listeners get actionable financial wisdom without the waffle.
