HM Treasury has appointed Starling Bank’s Group Chief Information Officer Harriet Rees and Lloyds Banking Group’s Head of AI and Advanced Analytics Dr Rohit Dhawan as the government’s Artificial Intelligence Champions for Financial Services. The unpaid, direct ministerial roles are intended to help firms adopt AI safely and at scale while supporting consumer protection and financial stability, with the Champions reporting directly to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister, Lucy Rigby. The Terms of Reference set the Champions’ focus on insurance and reinsurance, capital markets, retail investment, and asset management and wholesale services. Their remit includes engaging with industry, regulators and other stakeholders and providing advice to HM Treasury ministers and officials on potential AI-related growth opportunities and actions to remove barriers; the release also notes that around three-quarters of UK financial firms already use AI. The appointments began on 20 January 2026 and are due to conclude on 30 September 2026, with any extension requiring agreement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Oversight is sponsored by HM Treasury’s Director of Financial Services, who will meet the Champions at least quarterly, and conflicts of interest are to be declared and managed under established processes, including recusal where relevant.

Original source View in tracker