Lloyds Banking Group has brought an AI agent into its boardroom in what is claimed to be a first for any FTSE 100 company, granting the system access to confidential materials to help inform board members in their decision-making.

Lloyds ‘board bot’, first reported by The Times, will not only support real‑time data analysis and summarisation, but will also be tasked with reducing error in board decisions, advising on cybersecurity matters, and strengthening risk and compliance oversight.

The AI system, created by business software and advisory firm Board Intelligence, has been trained to support a wide range of board functions, including advising on sustainability, M&A activity, and financial analysis, with the goal of minimising human bias in board decisions.

Unlike general‑purpose AI tools such as ChatGPT or Gemini, the Lloyds agent has been purpose‑built to manage data within a controlled environment, with strict access controls surrounding sensitive corporate or market material.

While at the moment, Lloyds is primarily using the tool to help executives prepare ahead of meetings, the AI could soon take its own seat at the board table, albeit without voting rights.

Describing the current iteration as “step one”, Pippa Begg, chief exec at Board Intelligence, told Retail Banker International  that later deployments could see the AI used during meetings, and “able to almost interrupt and say: ‘Hang on, I think you’re falling into this trap.’ Or: ‘I disagree.’”

“This moment is the product of twenty years inside the world’s most demanding boardrooms,” said Board Intelligence.

“Our team combined two decades of expertise with world-class technology to create something entirely new: an AI adviser built specifically for corporate governance.”

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The rollout of Lloyds’ boardroom agent forms a key part of the bank’s ambition to extract £100 million in value from AI tech this year, with plans to scale agentic AI across core operations, customer support and financial guidance.

“We see real potential for AI to support decision making in boardrooms when used carefully and responsibly,” said Nicola Putland, Lloyds’ corporate governance director.

“We are trialling AI tools to support us to better prepare for discussions through faster analysis, and access to a broader range of perspectives.