# Raymond James Financial: Virtual assistant

Source: https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/raymond-james/virtual-assistant
Last updated: Oct 16, 2026

*Part of the [Raymond James Financial AI strategy profile](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/raymond-james).*

## What is Rai (Raimond), Raymond James' AI assistant?

Rai, renamed Raimond by May 2026, is Raymond James' proprietary generative-AI operations agent for its advisors and home-office staff, not a client chatbot. Launched on January 27, 2026 after a pilot, it gives natural-language answers to operational questions drawn from multiple firm knowledge bases and policies, and tailors answers to each user's role, responsibilities and entitlements, with 'full human-in-the-loop oversight'. CEO Paul Shoukry said it was built from transcripts of service calls, about one million recorded calls between advisors and the service center. By May 2026 600 advisors and 1,400 home-office employees were piloting it; it went enterprise-wide on June 15, 2026 and reached 6,500 unique users with a 99.5% satisfaction rate, per the July 2026 call. CIO Andy Zolper said the AWS-built platform uses Anthropic's Claude for now and that the aim, within six to 12 months, is for Raimond to perform tasks, not only answer questions. Its predecessor, AI Search (April 2025), was built in-house over the firm's knowledge centers with a real-time voting system on answer quality. Raymond James has no client-facing AI assistant. ([Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/news-and-media/press-releases/2026/01/27/raymond-james-launches-proprietary-digital-ai-agent-to-bolster-operational-excellence), [Investing.com](https://investing.com/news/company-news/raymond-james-launches-ai-operations-agent-to-enhance-service-93CH-4468669), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/practice-management/ai-will-help-solve-the-advisor-shortage-says-raymond-james-ceo-paul-shoukry/265539), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/independent-broker-dealers/raymond-james-launches-guided-portfolios-for-high-net-worth-advisor-market/268389), [WealthManagement.com](https://wealthmanagement.com/ibd-news/raymond-james-announces-ai-driven-client360-platform-ai-advisor-academy), [MarketBeat (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/raymond-james-financial-q3-earnings-230545601.html), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/fintech/raymond-james-looks-to-level-up-service-with-generative-ai/260190), [GlobeNewswire](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/04/17/3063545/0/en/raymond-james-invests-in-service-excellence-with-proprietary-generative-ai-search.html))

## How has Raymond James' internal AI assistant developed?

Launches, rollouts and reported usage, oldest first.

| Date | Milestone | Detail | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| April 17-18, 2025 | AI Search launched | Built in-house; a 'one-stop question and answer experience' embedded in systems advisors already use; human checkpoints and a real-time voting system on answer quality | [GlobeNewswire](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/04/17/3063545/0/en/raymond-james-invests-in-service-excellence-with-proprietary-generative-ai-search.html), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/fintech/raymond-james-looks-to-level-up-service-with-generative-ai/260190) |
| January 27, 2026 | Rai launched after a pilot | Interactive gen-AI Q&A across firm systems and policies; learns each user's role and entitlements; available to more business units first, enterprise-wide later | [Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/news-and-media/press-releases/2026/01/27/raymond-james-launches-proprietary-digital-ai-agent-to-bolster-operational-excellence), [Investing.com](https://investing.com/news/company-news/raymond-james-launches-ai-operations-agent-to-enhance-service-93CH-4468669) |
| January 27, 2026 | Usage context | More than 10,000 regular users of conversational AI across the firm's AI tools; about 3.2 million lines of code a month generated by AI under developer supervision | [Investing.com](https://investing.com/news/company-news/raymond-james-launches-ai-operations-agent-to-enhance-service-93CH-4468669), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/independent-broker-dealers/raymond-james-unveils-proprietary-ai-operations-agent/265028) |
| March 2026 | Described by the Private Client Group president | Tash Elwyn: RAI ('Raymond James AI') digitises the intranet knowledge base so it is searchable by AI prompt and returns insights 'within seconds' | [Financial Advisor magazine](https://digitalmagazine.fa-mag.com/fa-magazine-march-april-2026/0819373001773149151/p28) |
| March 2, 2026 | Built from service-call transcripts | Shoukry says Rai was built from transcripts of service calls and will be extended to all businesses; he later put the training set at about one million recorded calls between advisors and the service center | [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/practice-management/ai-will-help-solve-the-advisor-shortage-says-raymond-james-ceo-paul-shoukry/265539), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/independent-broker-dealers/raymond-james-launches-guided-portfolios-for-high-net-worth-advisor-market/268389) |
| April 22, 2026 | Piloted with a few hundred advisors and their teams | Also with home-office staff; part of the $1.1 billion tech budget goes to it; agentic AI named as the next phase | [Yahoo Finance](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/raymond-james-rjf-q2-2026-234354155.html), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/independent-broker-dealers/raymond-james-extends-ai-rollout-but-ceo-says-personal-relationships-will-trump-any-tech-or-bot/266271), [WealthManagement.com](https://wealthmanagement.com/ibd-news/raymond-james-recruiting-spend-helps-drive-net-new-asset-gains) |
| May 4, 2026 | Renamed Raimond; pilot widened | 600 advisors and 1,400 home-office employees; aim to move from answering questions to tasks such as opening a trust account within six to 12 months | [WealthManagement.com](https://wealthmanagement.com/ibd-news/raymond-james-announces-ai-driven-client360-platform-ai-advisor-academy) |
| June 15, 2026 | Enterprise-wide rollout | 6,500 unique users and a 99.5% satisfaction rate, per the July 22 call | [MarketBeat (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/raymond-james-financial-q3-earnings-230545601.html) |

## What is Raimond built on, and what controls apply?

Zolper said the firm built its AI platforms with Amazon Web Services and uses Anthropic's Claude as the language model 'for the moment', open to other providers. Feld said in March 2025 that vendor contracts bar vendors from training on or retaining firm data. ([WealthManagement.com](https://wealthmanagement.com/ibd-news/raymond-james-announces-ai-driven-client360-platform-ai-advisor-academy), [Financial Planning](https://financial-planning.com/news/raymond-james-new-ai-chief-opens-up-about-tech-at-the-firm))

The firm describes 'full human-in-the-loop oversight' for Rai and 'human checkpoints' for AI Search throughout development, implementation and maintenance; InvestmentNews reported that building AI Search in-house was meant to give the firm greater control and transparency over how the tool evolves. ([Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/news-and-media/press-releases/2026/01/27/raymond-james-launches-proprietary-digital-ai-agent-to-bolster-operational-excellence), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/fintech/raymond-james-looks-to-level-up-service-with-generative-ai/260190))

Zolper said task-performing features would be introduced cautiously: 'Technically, we could do that right now, but we really want to be cautious in rolling this out to make sure advisors are comfortable with it.' ([WealthManagement.com](https://wealthmanagement.com/ibd-news/raymond-james-announces-ai-driven-client360-platform-ai-advisor-academy))

## What other AI assistants do Raymond James advisors have?

| Tool | What it does | Since | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Zoom AI Companion | Firmwide meeting summaries integrated with RJ CRM and Opportunities; one advisor on its next-gen council said it cut meeting prep and follow-up by 90 minutes per client per quarter | May 2025 | [Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/athens-branch/about-us/press-releases/2025/05/15/raymond-james-expands-service-focused-technology-investment-with-zoom-ai-companion), [Financial Advisor magazine](https://digitalmagazine.fa-mag.com/fa-magazine-march-april-2026/0819373001773149151/p28) |
| AI Note Assistant | Note organisation and summaries in the proprietary RJ CRM | 2025 | [GlobeNewswire via FT Markets](https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/detail?dockey=1330-9525266en-2G3EBTACBF0CHV70SD1J7K5BF2), [Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/athens-branch/about-us/press-releases/2025/05/15/raymond-james-expands-service-focused-technology-investment-with-zoom-ai-companion) |
| ChatGPT Enterprise and Microsoft Copilot | Secure access to ChatGPT Enterprise and Microsoft Copilot integration, listed in the Rai release among recent AI enhancements | January 2026 | [Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/news-and-media/press-releases/2026/01/27/raymond-james-launches-proprietary-digital-ai-agent-to-bolster-operational-excellence) |
| Client 360 | Advisor platform that tripled engagement with the Opportunities app | May 2026 | [Raymond James](https://www.raymondjames.com/advisor-opportunities/press-releases/2026/05/04/raymond-james-tech-innovations), [WealthManagement.com](https://wealthmanagement.com/ibd-news/raymond-james-announces-ai-driven-client360-platform-ai-advisor-academy) |

## What does the Raymond James profile record on this topic?

| Date | Move | Detail | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sep 22, 2026 | Meta's Muse reignites the AI selloff | Raymond James shares shed 3.5% as LPL fell 7% and Schwab 6% on fears of consumer AI agents for investors. | [CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/23/metas-muse-ai-causes-schwab-selloff.html) |
| Jul 22, 2026 | Q3 call: 99.5% satisfaction with Rai; AI Academy | Nearly 20,000 people completed the four-course AI Academy; the CEO says AI will not replace advisors, but advisors who use it will replace those who do not. | [MarketBeat (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/raymond-james-financial-q3-earnings-230545601.html) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | Rai rolled out enterprise-wide | After a pilot and phased deployment; 6,500 unique users shortly after launch. | [MarketBeat (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/raymond-james-financial-q3-earnings-230545601.html) |
| Jun 8, 2026 | Seth Ford hired as chief architect to lead AI-ready architecture | Formerly Chief Architect and Head of Agentic Digital Products at Vanguard; he chairs the Technology Review Board and does not report to Feld, though both sit under the CIO's organisation. | [Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/richmond-branch/about-us/press-releases/2026/06/08/raymond-james-appoints-chief-architect-to-bolster-enterprise-technology-and-ai-strategy), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/independent-broker-dealers/raymond-james-taps-vanguards-chief-architect-to-drive-ai-strategy/266917) |
| May 4, 2026 | Elevate: Client 360 and AI Academy launched; Rai renamed Raimond | Client 360 tripled engagement with the Opportunities app. Zolper said 600 advisors and 1,400 home-office staff pilot Raimond, which should move from answering questions to performing tasks over six to 12 months, and that the AWS-built platforms use Anthropic's Claude for now. | [Raymond James](https://www.raymondjames.com/advisor-opportunities/press-releases/2026/05/04/raymond-james-tech-innovations), [WealthManagement.com](https://wealthmanagement.com/ibd-news/raymond-james-announces-ai-driven-client360-platform-ai-advisor-academy), [InvestmentNews](https://www.investmentnews.com/fintech/raymond-james-launches-ai-academy-extends-its-advisor-tech-push/266479) |
| Apr 22, 2026 | Q2 call: Rai piloted with a few hundred advisors; agentic AI next | Technology spend now more than $1.1 billion a year; the CEO calls margin estimates from AI 'too preliminary' and names agentic AI as the next phase. | [Yahoo Finance](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/raymond-james-rjf-q2-2026-234354155.html) |
| Mar 4, 2026 | Investor conference: AI as the answer to the advisor shortage | Shoukry cites McKinsey's estimate of a 100,000-advisor shortfall by 2034, says Rai was built from transcripts of service calls, and plans to extend it to all businesses; the firm is building AI internally and partnering with vendors for specialist tools. | [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/practice-management/ai-will-help-solve-the-advisor-shortage-says-raymond-james-ceo-paul-shoukry/265539) |
| Jan 28, 2026 | Q1 fiscal 2026 call: Rai named as the AI strategy's headline launch | Shoukry calls Rai 'our newly launched proprietary digital AI operations agent' and says the firm has been investing 'close to $1.1 billion this year' in technology and AI. | [Investing.com](https://investing.com/news/transcripts/earnings-call-transcript-raymond-james-financial-q1-2026-beats-eps-stock-dips-93CH-4480870), [Yahoo Finance](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/raymond-james-rjf-q1-2026-013913475.html) |
| Jan 27, 2026 | Rai, proprietary gen-AI operations agent, launched | Natural-language answers to operational questions across firm knowledge bases. In launch coverage Feld said more than 10,000 associates regularly use conversational AI and roughly 3.2 million lines of code a month are generated by AI under developer oversight, and called the rollout 'the first of several phases'. | [Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/news-and-media/press-releases/2026/01/27/raymond-james-launches-proprietary-digital-ai-agent-to-bolster-operational-excellence), [InvestmentNews](https://investmentnews.com/independent-broker-dealers/raymond-james-unveils-proprietary-ai-operations-agent/265028) |
| Jun 25, 2025 | Raymond James Ltd. signs FNZ platform deal in Canada | The Canadian arm announces FNZ's wealth platform, described as designed to deliver AI-powered capabilities and straight-through processing. | [FinTech Global](https://fintech.global/2025/06/25/wealthtech-firm-fnz-partners-with-raymond-james) |
| May 15, 2025 | Zoom AI Companion meeting summaries rolled out firmwide | Integrated with RJ CRM and Opportunities; follows April's AI Search launch. | [Raymond James](https://raymondjames.com/athens-branch/about-us/press-releases/2025/05/15/raymond-james-expands-service-focused-technology-investment-with-zoom-ai-companion) |
| Apr 17, 2025 | AI Search launched in-house under chief AI officer Feld (appointed February) | Generative-AI search over the internal knowledge base, with a real-time voting system on answer quality and human checkpoints throughout development and maintenance. | [GlobeNewswire](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/04/17/3063545/0/en/raymond-james-invests-in-service-excellence-with-proprietary-generative-ai-search.html) |

## Common questions

### What is Rai at Raymond James?

Rai, renamed Raimond by May 2026, is the firm's proprietary generative-AI operations agent, launched January 27, 2026. It answers advisors' and associates' operational questions in natural language from multiple firm knowledge bases and policies, tailored to each user's role and entitlements, with human-in-the-loop oversight. It is an internal tool, not a client chatbot.

### How many people use Raimond?

After its enterprise-wide rollout on June 15, 2026, Raimond reached 6,500 unique users with a 99.5% satisfaction rate, CEO Paul Shoukry said on the July 22, 2026 earnings call. Before that, 600 advisors and 1,400 home-office employees were in the pilot, and more than 10,000 associates used the firm's conversational AI tools regularly.

### Which AI model powers Raimond?

CIO Andy Zolper said in May 2026 that the firm's AI platforms are built with Amazon Web Services and use Anthropic's Claude as the language model for the moment, with the firm open to other providers. Raymond James does not build its own large language models.

### Will Raimond become client-facing?

Not yet. Zolper said in May 2026 that Raimond could become client-facing if advisors see a use case, and that the near-term aim, within six to 12 months, is for it to perform tasks such as opening a trust account rather than only answering questions, introduced cautiously.

### What was AI Search?

AI Search, launched in April 2025, was Raymond James' first in-house generative-AI tool: a question-and-answer search over the firm's internal knowledge base, built into the knowledge centers advisors already use, with human checkpoints and a real-time voting system on answer quality. Rai extended the approach to an operations agent.
## Deeper on Raymond James

- [What is Raymond James' AI strategy?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/raymond-james/ai-strategy)
- [How is Raymond James preparing its advisors and staff for AI?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/raymond-james/ai-workforce)
- [What technology does Raymond James use to serve advisors and clients?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/raymond-james/client-experience-technology)


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