AI Lab

The AI Lab provides a pathway for the FCA, firms and wider stakeholders to engage in AI-related insights, discussions and case studies.

Our AI Lab adds a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) focus to our Innovation Services, supporting innovators as they develop new AI models and solutions.

We want to enable the safe and responsible use of AI in UK financial markets, driving growth, competitiveness and innovation in the sector.

The AI Lab will support us in deepening our understanding of the risks and opportunities AI presents to UK consumers and markets, and help inform our regulatory approach in a practical, collaborative way.

The first components of the AI Lab include:

Supercharged Sandbox
AI Live Testing
AI Spotlight
AI Sprint
AI Input Zone

Supercharged Sandbox

As part of our work to support responsible AI in financial services, we partnered with NVIDIA to enhance our Digital Sandbox[2].

This gave firms access to high-performance computing, enriched datasets and advanced AI tools.

Applications for the first Supercharged Sandbox cohort are now closed. The first group has completed the programme.

During the Sandbox, firms developed and tested early-stage AI ideas to tackle real-world challenges across retail finance, compliance and wholesale markets.

On 28 and 29 January 2026, we hosted a Supercharged Sandbox showcase. Firms presented their AI-enabled solutions to industry leaders, technology partners and regulators. The event focused on how firms can develop, test and deploy AI responsibly across UK financial services.

We'll share more information about future cohorts and how to get involved in due course.

Accepted firms – first cohort

Retail innovation and consumer insight Wholesale and compliance innovation

Retail innovation and consumer insight

Ani-Tech
Aventur
Chip
Horizon Zero
Iron Market
Kestrl
Pebble
PresAIge
Principality
Serene
SmartPredict

Wholesale and compliance innovation

Aveni
Beyla
Courts Data
FinregE
Impax
MillTech
Multfi
Napier AI
Opsen AI
Shawbrook
Symphony AI
Virgin Money

AI Live Testing

Applications for the second AI Live Testing cohort were open from 19 January to 24 March 2026.

Testing starts from late April 2026. We notified successful firms in mid-April.

AI Live Testing provides firms with a safe place to test AI systems in real-world conditions, with appropriate regulatory support and oversight. It will help firms who are further along in AI development and are ready to use it in live markets.

AI Live Testing can provide:

Clarity on expectations.
Confidence in deployment.
A chance to shape best practice.

Download our Terms of Reference (PDF)[4] for more details.

If you have any questions about AI Live Testing, please contact us at: [email protected].

Who can take part

To be eligible you must demonstrate that you:

Produce and distribute financial products and services or provide AI models that are material to financial services and markets.
Actively use AI within your specific use case.
Have a material AI use case that is relevant to financial services and markets.
Have a use case that is likely to further one or more of the FCA’s operational objectives and has the potential to positively contribute to UK economic growth.
Have already developed an AI solution PoC and have plans to deploy it.
Have already considered pre-deployment testing and be willing to share your approach and findings to ensure readiness for live market rollout.
Have considered post-deployment monitoring plans, including demonstrating how this would be carried out.
Are open to work collaboratively with the FCA and share your findings with the FCA during live testing.

AI Spotlight

Projects accepted to the AI Spotlight will provide a real-world insight and practical understanding into how firms are experimenting with AI in financial services.

Innovators took part in a Showcase Day at the FCA London office on 28 January 2025. Projects selected for the AI Spotlight are featured on a dedicated AI Spotlight - Digital Showcase[5] page, which you can sign in to read. The page offers a valuable repository of practical solutions that showcase applications of AI across specific themes.

Applications to be part of the AI Spotlight will remain open. Download the participation pack (PDF)[6] for full details.

Apply for the AI Spotlight[7] See the Digital Showcase[5]

AI in UK and Singapore markets

We have entered an AI partnership with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)[8] to enable innovative firms in the UK and Singapore to scale and operate across both markets more effectively.

Existing and future AI Spotlight firms will have accelerated entry to MAS’ pathfin.ai[9] initiative.

Firms interested in taking part in future FCA-MAS AI Spotlight events should apply via the AI Spotlight programme.

AI Sprint

Bringing together industry, academics, regulators, technologists, and consumer representatives, we hosted an AI Sprint at our London office on 29-30 January 2025. The aim of the event was to help inform our regulatory approach to AI and how we can create the right environment for growth and innovation. We have now considered the feedback received and have published an AI Sprint summary.

AI Input Zone

The AI Input Zone was open from 14 May to 19 June 2026 to enable stakeholders to share their views on examples of good and poor practice in artificial intelligence (AI) use cases across UK financial services.

We asked for examples of:

What respondents had seen or done to successfully develop or deploy safe and responsible AI.
Anything that stopped that safe and responsible development or deployment.
What topics respondents would like to see addressed in a good and poor practice publication on AI.

We are now considering the responses and will publish good and poor practice examples later in 2026.

Our approach to AI

We’ve been monitoring and supporting innovation in AI for many years. Our approach is rooted in the latest evidence and expertise.

We continue to deepen our understanding of how AI is being deployed in UK financial markets while monitoring it within our existing, wider regulatory framework.