Anita Tanna has revealed that she is taking on the role of Barclays’ first chief AI officer.

Tanna has worked at Barclays since 2021 and most recently served as group chief of staff. She also worked in equity sales in the group's corporate and investment arm.

Prior to joining Barclays, Tanna worked at Citi Bank for almost 12 years. She held a variety of senior roles including head of equity sales, UK, and head of international sales.

Writing on LinkedIn, Tanna said that AI has enormous potential to transform how the bank serves its customers and clients and is a critical enabler of the company's strategy.

The announcement follows the news that Barclays is set to cut around 5,000 jobs due to the increasing use of AI technology in its operations. The bank announced the news alongside its third quarter results, stating that around 1,000 employees had been let go and a further 4,000 roles will cut by the end of this year.

In her new role, Tanna said she will focus on accelerating AI adoption across the group and on where Barclays can find and unlock the greatest value, while ensuring it continues to use AI thoughtfully and responsibly.

“After nearly three incredibly rewarding years as group chief of staff, I’m hugely grateful for everything I’ve learned and for the opportunity to work with so many talented colleagues across Barclays,” Tanna wrote. “I’m looking forward to bringing those experiences into this next chapter.

“There is already great work happening across the organisation, and I’m excited about what we can achieve together.”

Other banks have increased the use of AI in their operations and have created senior roles to maintain oversight and governance this year.

In March, HSBC announced the appointment of David Rice as its first chief AI officer. Rice was previously chief operating officer for HSBC’s corporate and institutional banking business, where he was responsible for day-to-day operations and leading the bank’s work on emerging technologies and business models.

In May, Citigroup promoted David Griffiths from chief technology officer to group head of AI.

Announcing the appointment on LinkedIn, the bank’s chief operating officer Anand Selva said the move would bring clearer focus to the company’s AI strategy by unifying the bank’s end-to-end AI operating model across businesses and technology.

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