Advai collaborates with FCA on second cohort of AI Live Testing
Highlights:
Advai continues collaboration with FCA on AI Live Testing second cohort
Eight firms selected to test AI in live market environments
Programme expands scope of real-world AI assurance across financial services
Advai to support evaluation, monitoring and assurance of advanced AI systems
Advai LTD (“Advai” or the “Company”), a leader in the testing, evaluation and assurance of AI systems, is continuing its collaboration with the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) as technical partner for the second cohort of the AI Live Testing programme.
Announced at UK FinTech Week, the second cohort includes eight firms – Aereve, Coadjute, Barclays, Experian, GoCardless, Lloyds Banking Group (Scottish Widows), UBS and Palindrome – selected to test AI systems in live market environments.
Cohort 2 represents the next phase of AI Live Testing, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to explore how AI can be deployed safely and responsibly in UK financial services, supporting firms as they move from proof-of-concept to real-world deployment.
The second cohort reflects the rapid evolution of AI technologies, with firms testing a range of approaches including agentic AI, small language models and neurosymbolic systems across use cases such as investment support, credit insights, payments, anti-money laundering detection and Know Your Customer processes.
In its role as technical assurance partner, Advai will support participating firms and the FCA by:
Evaluating AI systems and Risks
Supporting risk management and governance approaches for deploying systems
Providing independent technical evidence to support the FCA in working with AI systems
Through this work, Advai will continue to contribute to defining best practices for the safe and responsible adoption of AI across financial services, building on insights from the first cohort.
David Sully, CEO and Co-Founder of Advai, said:
“AI Live Testing continues to demonstrate the importance of evaluating AI systems in real-world conditions. As firms move beyond experimentation, the ability to generate robust evidence on system performance, behaviour and risk becomes critical to building trust and enabling safe adoption at scale.”
Jessica Rusu, chief data, information and intelligence officer at the FCA, said:
“We’re continuing to collaborate with firms to support the safe and responsible development of AI in UK financial markets. With tailored support from the FCA and Advai, the initiative reflects our commitment to supporting the pace of change in AI, whilst demonstrating how regulators and industry can work together to harness innovation responsibly.”
The second cohort is scheduled to commence from May 2026 and will run through the year, with findings expected to inform future regulatory guidance and industry best practice.
Advai’s platform supports organisations across the AI lifecycle, from testing and evaluation through to continuous post-deployment monitoring, enabling the safe, secure and scalable adoption of AI systems.