Lloyds Banking Group has partnered with Cambridge University to provide a bespoke AI education course for over 200 of its employees.

The bank, in partnership with AI start-up Cambridge Spark, aims to upskill the AI proficiency of its senior tech workers by offering them 80 hours of specialist tuition at the University over the course of six months.

Lloyds Chief Operating Officer Ron van Kemenade said the programme aims to “empower business leaders to innovate with AI and drive commercial excellence”.

“AI is a game-changer for financial services, and we’re investing to enhance our services with cutting-edge technology,” Van Kemenade said. “The programme with Cambridge Spark will empower our business leaders to further innovate with AI and drive commercial excellence using this transformative technology.”

The shared initiative with Cambridge Spark began earlier this month (05/03) with a two-day session at the University attended by 30 employees which included a session with Professor Stelios Kavadias, the Margaret Thatcher Professor of Studies in Innovation and Growth.

This follows a recent announcement that the University will offer AI research clinics to students and academics to enable a new wave of “responsible scientific discovery”. The newly implemented West Hub clinics aim to educate those who have considered using AI in their research but are “unsure where to begin”.

Founded by former Cambridge PhD student Dr Raoul-Gabriel Urma, Cambridge Spark helps companies upskill their workforces in AI and data science. The company was celebrated in The Sunday Times’ 2024 list of the UK’s top 100 fastest-growing companies.

Dr Urma said: “Advancing AI capabilities represents both the greatest challenge and opportunity for today’s businesses. Enhancing these capabilities within senior leadership creates a powerful multiplier effect that drives innovation throughout the organisation. We’re excited to support Lloyds Banking Group in this strategic investment.”

Last year, the University was reportedly considering cutting ties with Lloyds and Barclays due to their links to fossil fuels, despite the banks having been the bank of choice for almost all Cambridge colleges for nearly 200 years.

Earlier in March, the University unveiled the Bennett School of Public Policy, a new department focusing on AI in business.

Want to share your thoughts on this article? Send us a letter to letters@varsity.co.uk or by using this form.