Lloyds to create 1,000 AI roles as agentic use grows

Lloyds Banking Group plans to create more than 1,000 artificial intelligence roles as it expands its use of agentic AI, with almost 300 of those positions set to open in the coming months.

The roles will be filled internally and externally and include data and AI scientists, engineers, responsible AI specialists and AI product managers. More than 700 colleagues are already working on agentic AI use cases across the group.

The hiring push comes as Lloyds increases its use of AI tools in customer service and internal operations. One customer-facing product already in use is an AI financial assistant for Bank of Scotland customers, adopted by more than 500,000 users.

Alongside recruitment, Lloyds is expanding training for existing staff. Since January, employees across the group have taken more than 400,000 courses through its AI Academy, while more than 65,000 colleagues have completed training modules focused on the responsible use of AI.

The programme is open to the bank's 67,000 employees and includes interactive learning, workshops and live demonstrations tailored to different job functions. It aims to give staff the confidence to use AI tools in day-to-day work while maintaining oversight of risk and governance.

Fraud focus

Among the practical applications now being deployed are AI fraud detection agents that analyse payments in real time. These systems are designed to identify and stop suspected scams before money leaves a customer's account.

The models continuously assess patterns and behaviours, enabling faster, more consistent decision-making as fraud methods become more complex. Their use in fraud prevention shows how Lloyds is applying agentic AI to operational areas with clear customer impact.

Sharon Doherty outlined how the group sees the technology being used across the business.

"AI is becoming an increasingly important part of how we support customers and how we work across Lloyds Banking Group. As we scale its use, our focus is on making sure it delivers real benefit in day-to-day roles - helping colleagues make better decisions and enabling us to provide faster, more effective and more personalised support for customers. This is about keeping AI practical and accessible, so everyone can use it in ways that make a meaningful difference," said Sharon Doherty, Chief People and Places Officer, Lloyds Banking Group.

Skills pipeline

The bank is also adding a Level 6 AI engineering apprenticeship, which it described as one of the first such schemes offered by a UK bank. A cohort of 33 apprentices will join the programme across Lloyds' UK hubs and work towards a Level 6 qualification in AI engineering while gaining experience inside the business.

The apprenticeship is intended to build a longer-term talent pipeline for specialist AI roles and create another route for existing staff to move into technical positions. It also reflects broader competition among large employers for workers with machine learning, data and AI governance skills.

Lloyds has also revived its Data and AI Summer School after a previous run that drew more than 90,000 registrations across 200 sessions in two months. The latest version will include more than 250 sessions spanning on-demand learning, live classes and practical workshops.

The sessions will cover topics ranging from data literacy and visualisation to machine learning and applied AI. The structure is intended to help staff apply what they learn in practical workplace settings rather than treat AI as a separate technical discipline.

One of the apprentices joining the programme described the role the scheme could play in building confidence with the technology.

"My apprenticeship will give me the chance to build practical skills in software engineering while learning how AI can support the work we do every day. Being able to apply that learning in a real business environment, with support from experienced colleagues, will help me build my confidence. It will show me how these skills can be used responsibly to support colleagues and improve the way we work," said Emma Richards, Level 6 AI Apprentice, Lloyds Banking Group.