Linklaters has launched an AI sandbox to enable it “to quickly build out AI solutions, many of which have stemmed from ideas suggested by its people”, the firm has said. 

The launch follows Linklaters’ innovation team conducting its second AI ideas campaign, with chosen ideas to be developed through the firm’s homegrown chatbot, Laila, or in partnership with external vendors.

Linklaters partner Tom Quoroll said the sandbox would “help to supercharge the delivery of AI-based solutions across our business, so that our people can apply these transformative technologies in service of our clients”.

A cross-functional Linkaters team evaluated ideas against a range of criteria using the firm’s Ideas Hub platform, with those selected from this and previous campaigns being taken forward for development into working prototypes, the firm said. 

Those on the shortlist included ideas focused on building credentials based on lawyer profiles and deal experience, the ability to transpose edits across large suites of related documents, automating initial steps in regulatory analysis and the automatic generation of matter metadata and credentials from documents.

Linklaters’ AI sandbox also involves assembling a workbench of AI solution developers to help build out ideas quickly. The firm has started by onboarding tech consultancies Simplexico and Springbok AI to support the design, testing and delivery of prototypes and said it would continue to scout for others to add to the workbench, to complement its internal teams. 

Greg Baker, senior lawyer and global head of innovation at Linklaters, commented: “Much like the technology, we are not standing still. We’ve learnt what it takes to deliver meaningful solutions, we’ve brought in new capabilities and resources, and our understanding of where this technology can add value has continued to evolve – all of which has been reflected in the quality of ideas we receive and our plans to operationalise them.”

Linklaters ran its first Gen AI-focused global ideas campaigns early last year, which provided it with a foundation of around 75 ideas and what is described as a team of “Gen AI champions” to support their development. 

The firm pointed out that its AI sandbox was “just one strand” in its programme of work, and accompanied what its technology team was doing to build scalable solutions across domains such as search, extraction, analysis and drafting. The firm added that over the past 18 months it had been continuously improving its chatbot, Laila, which is currently handling more than 60,000 prompts a week.