Fintech companies face the challenge of trying to lead in AI adoption while navigating potential pitfalls. The board of directors plays a critical role in demonstrating leadership and building trust with key stakeholders during the implementation of AI. This research involves interviews with 21 board members from Malaysian Fintech companies to identify the most effective strategies for fostering trust among shareholders, staff, and customers. The findings reveal that the most effective methods for building trust differ among these three groups of stakeholders. Leaders should build trust for these three stakeholders in two ways: First, through the effective and trustworthy implementation of AI, and second, by transparently communicating how AI is used in a manner that addresses stakeholders’ concerns. The findings show that certain applications of Generative AI can facilitate trust-building in AI, even if they are more limited in scope, and entail some sacrifice in performance. There are inherent trade-offs between unleashing Generative AI in an unrestricted way and a more constrained, transparent, and predictable application that builds trust in shareholders, staff, and customers. This balancing act, between a fast adoption of Generative AI and a more cautious, controlled approach, is central to the challenges faced by the board.