Standard Chartered to replace 'lower-value human capital' with AI

Standard Chartered bank could cut more than 7,500 jobs as it seeks to replace "lower-value human capital" under a technology and artificial intelligence (AI) drive.

The London-based but Asia-focused banking giant said it was to axe more than 15% of back-office roles by 2030 in favour of increased automation and adoption of new technologies including AI.

Standard Chartered, which also has corporate offices in Chennai, Bengaluru, Shenzhen and Warsaw, did not divulge the locations where the jobs will be lost but said that those affected would have the chance to be retained under a retraining programme.

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The bank has a total ‌global staff of nearly 82,000.

The announcement forms part of a drive by its long-serving chief executive of 11 years, Bill Winters, aimed at bolstering profitability.

He told reporters: "It's not cost-cutting. It's replacing in some cases lower-value human capital ​with the financial capital and the investment capital we're putting in."

Mr Winters explained: "Our strategy is grounded in a simple belief: the world is becoming more connected, more complex and more cross-border.

"Our trusted ability to combine network and product capabilities to solve challenging cross-border problems is difficult to replicate.

"We are investing in the capabilities that will compound our competitive advantages and drive sustainable growth and higher quality returns over time, with clear targets in place."

The strategy chimes with similar shake-ups across technology and financial services firms as AI technology evolves.

In Standard Chartered's case, it estimated the plan would raise its measure of income per employee by around 20% by 2028.

(c) Sky News 2026: Standard Chartered to replace 'lower-value human capital' with AI