Knowledge graphs fuel AI innovation for financial services at Raymond James Financial

Knowledge graphs are increasingly becoming an essential component of AI innovation in the financial services industry, specifically at Raymond James Financial Inc. According to Jeff Griffith, vice president of AI engineering and data science, these graph technologies provide a crucial context and reasoning layer for agentic AI, enabling enterprises to connect data and ground agents in key business expertise.

Graph technologies have proven particularly helpful for Raymond James in building unique solutions and developing trustworthy infrastructure to support AI. Jeff Griffith explained that while many people are familiar with accessing the information they need on a regular basis, the value of the knowledge graph truly shines when it comes to connecting domains or performing unique tasks.

Naveen Mahankali, vice president of technology at Raymond James, highlighted the importance of accuracy in the financial world. The company utilizes its knowledge graph to compare results with trusted golden sources, ensuring that AI agents work with data from reliable systems. By leveraging the Neo4j platform, Raymond James can validate AI-generated data against established sources before deploying it.

Raymond James' implementation of AI agents is streamlining various processes within the organization. In January, the company launched Raimond, its proprietary digital AI operations agent, which has seen significant adoption and is expected to become even more intelligent. This AI assistant aims to reduce the time and effort financial advisors spend sourcing information for clients, allowing them to focus on analysis rather than navigating fixed dashboards or screens.

Griffith envisions AI agents becoming a central part of the company's evolution, enabling employees to move from performing menial tasks to solving meaningful problems.