Envoy, agentic AI platform revealed by Lloyds, is part of the Group’s wider AI ecosystem and forward-looking responsible AI strategy.
Lloyds Banking Group announced the launch of Envoy, an internal platform for building and running AI agents, on 1 May 2026.
Envoy was built with the infrastructure of Google Cloud. It connects to the Group’s existing Large Language Model platform. Teams can use pre-built templates to create AI agents without starting from scratch. Completed agents can be published to an internal Agent Marketplace, where other teams can find and reuse them.
The platform includes safety checks and risk controls. Human oversight is also retained in key decisions. Once AI agents are live, teams can monitor their behaviour and performance. A full audit trail of activity is maintained for decision-making process tracking and efficiency checks.
Envoy allows agents to retain information during customer conversations, within data privacy and retention rules. The aim is to avoid customers repeating information across interactions. The Group says the platform’s features will continue to develop through 2026.
Ron van Kemenade, Chief Operating Officer at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “Envoy helps our employees become more productive, improve customer journeys, and launch potentially disruptive business models.”
The new agentic AI platform is part of wider Lloyds’ AI initiatives and vision. Earlier, the banking group deployed an AI “board bot” built by Board Intelligence to help its board review confidential material, prepare for meetings, and reduce human bias in decisions. The agent tool covers areas such as cybersecurity, sustainability, financial analysis, and M&A. Currently Lloyds is mainly using it to help executives optimize their preparation time and awareness ahead of board meetings.
As the bank tends to employ AI in mission-critical decision-making facilitation, the firm is also firmly commited to responsible use of that innovative technology.
It was recently reported that Sameer Gupta will join Lloyds as chief data and AI officer in June 2026, after a 12-year tenure at DBS Bank, where he served as managing director and chief analytics officer for the last nine years. He will report to Ron van Kemenade, group COO. His responsibilities will include scaling AI adoption across the organisation to improve customer experience, strengthen fraud prevention, and provide employees with better tools. He will also oversee responsible, transparent, and secure use of AI.
Responsible AI unit, which sits within the AI Centre of Excellence, is central to the Group’s approach to designing and deploying AI technologies. The recently expanded Responsible AI team is led by Suzanne Brink. New specialist hires include expertise in data and AI ethics, governance, safe research, threat intelligence, and emerging generative technologies. Notable hires include Claire Schrader as Responsible AI Framework Lead, with a background in the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, and Dr Chiara Picardi as Lead for Responsible AI Research and Development, specialising in AI safety and security from academic and industry roles.
“Responsible AI is what makes innovation at scale possible. These appointments reflect our continued investment in the skills, governance and safeguards needed to deploy AI in a way that earns trust, delivers value, and creates positive outcomes for customers and the economy. By rapidly adapting to technological advancements and investing in the right expertise, we are ensuring that AI adoption across the Group is safe, well-governed and aligned with our purpose of Helping Britain Prosper.”
Dr Rohit Dhawan, Group Head of AI at Lloyds Banking Group
The work on responsible AI deployment has been going on for several years now. In August 2024, Rohit Dhawan, who has served as the AWS Head of Data Strategy for Asia Pacific for about four years, was appointed Director of AI and Advanced Analytics, leading the AI Centre of Excellence.
Gupta’s new role, Chief Data and AI Officer, is a more senior, newly created position. Dhawan is understood to now report into Gupta.
