Lloyds Banking Group has announced an AI Academy for its entire 67,000-strong workforce, expecting to generate more than £100 million in value from artificial intelligence this year after delivering around £50 million in 2025.
The bank deployed over 50 generative AI solutions last year, transforming customer interactions through faster in-app search experiences and more accurate responses across operations. Ron van Kemenade, group chief operating officer, said the progress demonstrated “the scale of the opportunity ahead” as the group extends AI capabilities throughout 2026.
The AI Academy will require all colleagues to complete an initial module on responsible AI usage before progressing to role-specific training across four categories: AI Users, AI Leaders, AI Builders, and AI Enablers. Sharon Doherty, chief people and place officer, told The Fintech Times that the programme provides “practical, hands-on tools to use AI responsibly in their day-to-day work”.
Lloyds is targeting 100 per cent AI literacy across its workforce by the end of 2026, reflecting concerns that nearly 60 per cent of workers globally will need to reskill by 2030, according to World Economic Forum projections.
AI tools already in use have delivered measurable improvements. Athena, an AI-powered knowledge assistant used by 20,000 colleagues, has cut search times by 66 per cent on average. Around 5,000 engineers are using GitHub Copilot, which has driven a 50 per cent improvement in code conversion for established systems. An AI HR assistant now resolves roughly 90 per cent of queries correctly on first contact.
A major milestone planned for 2026 is the full customer rollout of an AI-powered financial assistant within the mobile app. The tool will initially provide quick answers and tailored guidance on everyday banking before expanding to cover savings, borrowing, investments, and protection.
The bank rose 12 places in the Evident AI Global Index last year, marking the strongest improvement of any UK institution. Lloyds has also been working with UK Finance and other major lenders to develop Great British Tokenised Deposits, completing the UK’s first public blockchain transaction using tokenised deposits this month.
Van Kemenade said scaling AI would “simplify processes for colleagues and deliver more personalised services for customers” whilst building foundations for future innovation. The group serves 28 million customers and handles 7 billion digital log-ins annually, a 50 per cent increase over three years.
