Beyond the algorithm: Championing responsible AI, empowering women in tech

GCash, the Philippines’ leading finance super app, takes innovation to the next level with GCash AI Week 2025—a landmark event celebrating the power of AI-driven transformation, responsible innovation, and gender inclusivity in tech.

Under the theme “AI-CHIEVED: Explore, Empower, Elevate,” the event brought together global tech leaders like Apple, Google, and AWS to spark discussions on ethical AI, intelligent automation, and the future of fintech.

From hands-on workshops to real-world AI demos, GCash reaffirmed its mission to shape an AI-ready, diverse, and financially inclusive Philippines.

GCash, the Philippines’ leading finance super app, reaffirmed its commitment to AI-driven innovation and inclusivity through GCash AI Week 2025.

The event gathered industry leaders, technology partners, and emerging innovators to explore artificial intelligence's (AI) transformative potential in fintech while emphasizing responsible AI practices and women's critical role in technology.

Guided by the theme “AI-CHIEVED: Explore, Empower, Elevate,” GCash AI Week provided a dynamic platform for thought leadership, collaboration, and hands-on learning. The event featured esteemed partners, including Apple, Google, and Amazon Web Services (AWS), and engaged employees, university students, and fintech professionals in discussions on ethical AI, data-driven decision-making, and the future of intelligent automation.

Kicking off the event, Pebbles Sy, chief technology and operations officer of Mynt, the holding company of GCash, underscored the company’s vision for AI as a force multiplier for innovation and efficiency: “AI Week is about building confidence in AI, understanding its real value, and making it a natural part of how we work. It goes beyond just automation, it’s about intelligent insights, better decisions, and unlocking new levels of innovation.”

Sy shared, “AI is already changing the way we work at GCash. Tools like Glean, Gemini, and Dev Copilots are making our processes faster, smarter, and more efficient, and this year, we’re taking it even further. AI is only as good as how we use it, and we’re making sure that AI is here to empower all of us.”

The event showcased real-world AI applications, featuring sessions such as “Apple Intelligence: Unleash,” where participants learned how to maximize Apple’s AI-driven features on iPhones and MacBooks. The Amazon Quicksight Hackathon by AWS challenged teams to build AI-powered dashboards using Generative AI. Attendees also explored advanced AI capabilities, including large reasoning models with Deep Seek, enterprise AI with Glean, and next-level productivity tools with Google’s Gemini AI.

GCash AVP of automation center of excellence Michelle Santos highlighted the role of AI in daily workflows

AI Week also highlighted the importance of AI literacy and upskilling across the organization. Michelle Santos, AVP of the Automation Center of Excellence at GCash, emphasized the necessity of integrating AI into everyday workflows: “AI Week is our way of equipping GCash employees with the skills to augment their daily tasks through AI tools and platforms. This is a critical capability for the future of work; using AI should become natural.”

Through hands-on workshops, hackathons, and expert-led sessions, GCash demonstrated its commitment to fostering an AI-ready workforce. Employees gained direct experience in leveraging AI for operational efficiency, customer engagement, and data-driven decision-making, reinforcing the company’s agile and innovation-driven culture.

GCash AI Week 2025 also placed a strong emphasis on responsible AI development, ethics, and diversity. As a woman-led company with a leadership team that includes trailblazers in fintech and AI, GCash continues to advocate for gender inclusivity in technology. The event honored the contributions of women in STEM, spotlighting female engineers, data scientists, and tech leaders who are shaping the fintech landscape.

GCash chief data officer Sara Venturina emphasized the critical role of ethics and diverse perspectives in AI development

“We must recognize that ethics, human insights, and diverse perspectives are essential to innovating AI,” said Sara Venturina, chief data officer of GCash. “AI teams need diversity in thought, background, and experience, as this directly impacts how AI applications operate. Will they show bias, or will they be fair?”

GCash’s approach to financial inclusion extends to tackling bias in AI development, ensuring that its data collection, labelling, and application processes are designed to serve all users equitably. By fostering a culture of transparency, accountability, and continuous learning, GCash aims to set industry standards for responsible AI adoption.

Through initiatives like GCash AI Week, the company continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in fintech. By embedding AI into its operations responsibly and equitably, GCash is not just driving innovation—it is shaping a future where AI serves as a catalyst for inclusion, empowerment, and financial progress.

As AI technology continues to evolve, GCash remains steadfast in its mission to democratize financial access, ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital economy.