How AI is reshaping financial services in ASEAN and beyond

The ASEAN financial services sector is evolving, thanks to new tech and rapid innovation. With the growth of the region’s digital and social commerce, we’re seeing a rise in instant cross-border payments, embedded finance, and modernised banking.

At the same time, consumers who feel more financially secure are turning to digital tools to help them achieve their economic goals. But how do they really feel about their financial institutions in this evolving landscape?

To find out, we surveyed 9,500 financial services consumers worldwide‌ — ‌including 500 in Singapore‌ — ‌for the 2nd edition of Salesforce’s Connected Financial Services Report. We explored how they assess their digital experiences, what keeps them loyal (or pushes them away), and how they view the increasing role of AI and data in financial services.

Some key findings from the report include:

• What drives consumer loyalty‌ — ‌and what causes consumers to leave
• Evolving preferences and expectations for digital financial experiences
• Consumer perspectives on AI and data usage, including agentic AI use cases

In financial services, consumer loyalty is built on trust, personalisation, and seamless omni-channel experiences. Today’s customers expect intuitive, AI-powered interactions that anticipate their financial needs while respecting their data privacy.

1. Customer loyalty goes beyond low rates and fees

Competitive rates and fees might seem like the secret to keeping customers around, but our survey found that great service matters even more.

Nearly half (46%) of consumers say they’d remain with a financial service provider that offers an excellent experience — even if rates or fees go up.

According to the World Economic Forum, ASEAN is one of the world’s fastest-growing regions. By 2030, it’s set to become the fourth-largest economy in the world — driven by a young, educated, and increasingly online population of 700 million people.

For many people in the region, especially the younger generations, integrating digital technologies into their everyday lives has changed how they consume information, make purchases, and use financial services. That’s why standout customer service and seamless digital experiences aren’t just nice-to-haves; they’re must-haves.

2. The digital experiences that will drive satisfaction

According to the Connected Financial Services report, fewer than half of consumers are satisfied with their financial services’ digital experiences, despite the number of those who are reasonably satisfied being on the rise.

What’s frustrating them?

• Up to 60% expect full automation for certain tasks, but it’s not always there
• In a global context, nearly half (47%) say they have to repeat themselves to different representatives‌ — ‌with this rising to 55% in Singapore
• Only 15% feel their provider goes above and beyond with insights that‌ improve their financial health and wellbeing

In a region where digital-first expectations are rising fast, Agentforce can help ASEAN businesses stay ahead‌ — ‌by providing the always-on, quality service that customers now expect. Agentforce brings the power of autonomous AI agents to the Salesforce Platform and provides specialised, 24/7 support to employees or customers.

Every interaction is powered by trusted data, meaning customers will be able to get accurate, context-aware support without the frustration of repeating themselves.

With its ability to resolve cases swiftly and autonomously, Agentforce doesn’t just improve response times — it elevates the entire customer experience. It also frees up employees to focus on more complex or high-value interactions that matter most: in the case of financial services, providing valuable and personalised insights that help improve the financial health and wellbeing of consumers. 

“Consumers today expect highly personalised services, yet banks struggle to meet this demand. Agentic AI solutions like Agentforce can help by providing a limitless digital workforce for banks to scale personalised services at speed. Imagine AI agents acting as personal digital bankers, responding to customer queries 24/7 on topics such as saving plans, loan affordability and investment options.”

3. Customers want AI to support financial services

ASEAN is a diverse region and when it comes to digital maturity and AI readiness, countries are moving at different speeds.

Some, like Singapore and Indonesia, have national AI strategies to guide how AI is used in the public sector. Others, like Malaysia and Thailand, have set up dedicated agencies to drive AI adoption across different industries.

But there’s no single, unified approach to AI adoption across the region, leading to varied progress and priorities. 

Despite these differences, our report highlights a consistent trend: financial customers across ASEAN are open to AI-powered innovation. They expect financial institutions to enhance their services with AI, whether through assisted or autonomous agents, to deliver more personalised, secure, and efficient banking experiences. From fraud detection and risk management to faster approvals and tailored financial advice, AI adoption aligns with what customers want — smarter, safer, and more responsive financial services:

• 54% trust the use of AI agents in financial services, with transparency being the top factor that builds trust in agents
• 77% are interested in AI for fraud prevention and detection
• 74% of consumers in the region (higher than 65% globally) firmly believe that AI will speed up transactions

As we embrace the agentic wave of AI — following predictive and generative — Agentforce is the key to unlocking trapped value for the financial services industry. Besides tapping into rich, reliable data to ensure customers have a secure and positive experience when making financial transactions and interacting with ‌businesses, Agentforce can also autonomously share insights on financial reporting and risk assessments, act on fraud detection, and resolve compliance-related queries.

 

4. Ethical AI use and infrastructure are works in progress, but there’s a way forward

Earning a customer’s trust demands transparency, human validation of AI, user control, explainability, and accuracy.

Our report shows 84% of consumers would switch providers if they felt that their information was mishandled, which highlights the importance of adapting AI solutions to meet local regulatory standards and consumer expectations. 

Governments across ASEAN are embracing digital transformation and have rolled out policies to help grow a vibrant regional digital economy. But there are challenges to overcome, like differences in socio-economic conditions, varying levels of development, and the mix of regulatory frameworks across the region.

Standard policy tools, regulations and legislation are critical means of addressing these challenges. The ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 and the Bandar Seri Begawan Roadmap are among these.

With Trust as a core value, Agentforce is the clear solution to many of these challenges.

Integrated directly into existing financial infrastructure, Agentforce follows strict compliance and security protocols, reducing risks related to misinformation, fraud, or data breaches. Whether assisting with payments, loan applications, or fraud detection, Agentforce operates with enterprise-grade security, auditability, and transparency, providing swift, precise, and trusted support that strengthens customer confidence in financial institutions.

Backed by Salesforce’s deeply unified platform, agents become part of a business’s ecosystem, with access to data, workflows, existing investments and applications by working seamlessly with Data Cloud, Customer 360 and the Einstein Trust layer.

5. ASEAN consumers know what they want

Our report’s findings have revealed that across ASEAN and globally, consumers expect a connected experience with seamless and secure automated financial services driven by digital tools.

Superior customer experiences and personalisation are key to ensuring customer loyalty, even if customers are paying higher rates or fees — as long as institutions can back that up with trust through safe, ethical AI and data handling.

This is where Agentforce and Salesforce’s deeply unified platform comes in. AI agents capable of giving customers round-the-clock quality, proactive and personalised experiences driven by a 360-degree connected view, will bring financial service providers to a whole new level.

Agentforce can also be supported by MuleSoft, which will help financial services institutions (FSIs) enhance customer experience and build trust by seamlessly integrating core banking systems, payment platforms, CRMs, and fintech applications. By unlocking siloed data, it creates a 360-degree view of the customer, enabling real-time, personalised interactions across digital and physical channels. This ensures faster loan approvals, seamless transactions, and hyper-personalised financial insights, strengthening customer confidence while maintaining regulatory compliance.