Reimagining the future: how AI is transforming Lloyds Banking Group

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s a present-day catalyst for transformation. At Lloyds Banking Group, we’ve embraced this reality with purpose and ambition. 

Rohit Dhawan
Director and Group Head of AI & Advanced Analytics
Published on: 24 July 2025
5 min read

Over the past year, we’ve made significant progress in embedding AI across our organisation, not just as a tool, but as a strategic enabler that is reshaping how we operate, serve customers and prepare for the future.

From legacy to leadership: our AI journey so far

While AI has been part of our toolkit for over two decades, primarily through traditional machine learning, 2024 marked a pivotal shift. We transitioned to a Group-wide strategy focused on what we call “the new AI”: generative and agentic AI. These technologies are not just incremental improvements; they are transformative forces that allow us to reimagine our business from the ground up.

To support this shift, we established a dedicated AI Centre of Excellence and introduced a new AI operating model. This model treats AI as a horizontal capability that spans all business units and functions. It’s a deliberate move to ensure AI is not siloed but embedded into the fabric of our organisation.
 

An AI strategy built on five pillars

Our AI strategy is structured around five key domains where we believe AI can deliver the most impact:
 

1. Customer interactions

Enhancing how we engage with customers through intelligent, responsive and personalised experiences.

2. Customer operations

Streamlining back-office processes to improve efficiency and reduce turnaround times for customers.

3. Frontline and relationship manager support

Equipping our colleagues with AI-powered tools to better serve customers.

4. Colleague assistants

Empowering our workforce with AI tools that boost productivity and simplify day-to-day tasks.

5. Engineering

Accelerating development and innovation through AI-driven software engineering practices.


Each domain is supported by a portfolio of use cases, carefully selected for their potential to deliver measurable value. In 2024, we committed to generating £50 million in incremental value through GenAI initiatives. We predict that figure will rise to £150 million in 2025 and £600 million by 2027.

 

Building the foundations: people, process, and technology

Transformation at this scale requires more than ambition; it demands capability. That’s why we’ve focused on building the right foundations across three dimensions: people, process, and technology.

People: upskilling for the AI era

We’ve launched a comprehensive upskilling programme to ensure our colleagues are ready to thrive in an AI-enabled environment. This includes:

  • AI for Leaders – a strategic education programme developed in partnership with Cambridge University, aimed at our senior leadership team.
  • Practitioner Packs – technical training for engineers and developers to build and deploy AI solutions.
  • AI Summer School – a Group-wide initiative to introduce AI concepts to colleagues across all roles and levels.

We’ve also rolled out Microsoft Co-pilot to 40,000 colleagues, giving them access to generative AI tools that enhance productivity in everyday tasks, from analysing documents to creating presentations.

Process: a scalable operating model

To ensure consistency and governance, we’ve implemented a new AI operating model. This includes a centralised playbook for developing AI use cases, guidance on whether to build or buy solutions, and a governance framework that ensures responsible AI deployment.

One of our key governance mechanisms is the GenAI Control Tower, a cross-functional forum where we prioritise use cases, allocate resources and ensure alignment with our broader strategy.

Technology: a fit-for-purpose approach

We’re leveraging multiple toolsets to support our AI ambitions, including Microsoft and Google. Microsoft tools such as Copilot Studio enable us to build agentic AI solutions for colleagues, while Google Cloud provides the infrastructure for complex generative AI frameworks. This multi-platform approach allows us to align the right tools with the specific needs of each solution, giving us the flexibility and agility to scale our AI capabilities effectively.
 

Delivering on our purpose and strategy in 2025

Video | 2 mins

Charlie Nunn, Group CEO, and Jayne Opperman, CEO, Consumer Lending, reflect on our progress halfway through 2025, and how our strategy is delivering for customers.

Watch the video

 

Real-world impact of AI

We’re already seeing meaningful impact from AI in several areas:

Customer operations

AI is helping us automate complex processes like fraud investigations, lending reviews, credit reports, complaints handling and Know Your Customer (KYC) checks. Tasks that previously took weeks or months are now being completed in days, enhancing both operational efficiency and customer experience.

Developer productivity

Our engineering teams are using AI to accelerate software development, reduce errors and improve code quality. AI is also playing a critical role in modernising legacy systems by refactoring outdated code into contemporary applications.

Colleague enablement

Tools like Microsoft Copilot are transforming how colleagues work, enabling faster decision-making and freeing up time for higher-value tasks.

We’re also actively developing customer-facing agentic AI use cases that will redefine how we engage with customers. While some of these initiatives are still under wraps, they mark a significant step forward in our digital transformation journey – pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in customer interaction and experience.

 

Reimagining banking with AI

Rohit Dhawan believes that AI will revolutionise the financial services industry over the coming decade. And the transformation will be broad – impacting everything from customer experience to administrative operations.

Read Rohit's article

 

Staying ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape

AI is evolving at an unprecedented pace. What’s cutting-edge today may be commoditised tomorrow. That’s why our approach is both ambitious and adaptive. We remain “rigid on the vision, flexible on the approach”. Our long-term goal is to align all AI initiatives with our 2030 strategy, but we’re building incrementally to deliver value year by year while staying agile enough to pivot as the technology evolves.

Striking the right balance between long-term vision and short-term delivery is critical. It ensures we’re not only preparing for the future but also realising tangible benefits today.
 

Collaboration and innovation: working with fintechs and academia

We know we can’t do this alone. That’s why we’re actively collaborating with fintechs and universities to stay at the forefront of AI innovation:

Aveni - an Edinburgh-based AI fintech developing large language models tailored for financial services. We’ve invested in Aveni and are exploring how their FinLLM model can support our customer-facing use cases.

Unlikely AI - a startup focused on improving model accuracy and reducing hallucinations, critical for safe and reliable AI deployment.

Academic Partnerships - we’re working with leading institutions like Cambridge, Imperial, Bristol and Edinburgh to co-develop training programmes and explore new research opportunities.

These partnerships not only accelerate innovation but also help us build a robust ecosystem around AI.

 

Responsible AI: ethics, safety, and sustainability

With great power comes great responsibility. As we scale AI, we’re acutely aware of the ethical, security, and environmental implications.

  • Safety and security – we have rigorous testing and governance in place to prevent hallucinations, misinformation and misuse, especially in customer-facing applications.
  • Cost and efficiency – AI is resource-intensive. We’re closely monitoring usage to ensure that every deployment delivers a strong return on investment.
  • Environmental impact – while we rely on cloud providers like Microsoft and Google, who have their own net-zero targets, we’re committed to using AI responsibly and sustainably.

We’re also exploring the creation of dedicated functions to monitor and optimise AI systems continuously, ensuring they remain efficient, secure, and aligned with our values.
 

 

Tech and transformation

We’re the UK’s biggest digital bank, with over 18 million online customers. It’s taken more than £4 billion in investment to get us here. And there’s still so much more we want to achieve.

Tech and transformation roles opens in same tab

 

AI and our 2030 vision

As we look to the future, AI will play a central role in helping us achieve our 2030 vision. Some of our strategic actions will be enabled by AI; others will be driven by it. And while not every initiative will require AI, many of the most transformative ones will.

Our ambition is clear: to become an AI-enabled organisation that is more efficient, more innovative and more responsive to the needs of our customers and colleagues. We’re building the capabilities, partnerships and governance to make that vision a reality.

We’re still early in our AI journey, the progress to date has been both meaningful and momentum-building. From strategy and structure to tools and talent, we’re laying the groundwork for a future where AI is not just a support function but a core driver of value and innovation.

AI isn’t a silver bullet, nor is it the answer to every challenge. But when applied thoughtfully and responsibly, it has the power to transform how we work, how we serve our customers, and how we grow. At Lloyds Banking Group, we’re embracing that power with ambition, with care and with a clear sense of purpose.

Rohit Dhawan
About the author Rohit Dhawan

Group Head of Artificial Intelligence

Dr. Rohit Dhawan is the Group Executive Director of Artificial Intelligence at Lloyds Banking Group in the UK, where he leads a multidisciplinary team of AI specialists, data engineers, data scientists, and AI ethicists.

A prominent figure in data and AI strategy, Dr. Dhawan is a seasoned C-suite operator and a published author. Previously, Dr. Dhawan served as the Regional Head of Data & AI Strategy for Amazon Web Services in the Asia Pacific region, covering South-East Asia, Australia, and Japan. Dr. Dhawan retains a PhD in AI and a Master’s degree in IT from the University of Sydney.

Follow Rohit on LinkedIn

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