The UK government has launched a new advisory sandbox designed to help organisations develop and deploy AI products while navigating existing regulatory requirements.

Legal services will be the first sector to take part in the initiative, which the government said follows strong demand from the industry.

The AI Growth Lab will bring together legal and data regulators including the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, the Information Commissioner’s Office and the Legal Services Board.

The government said the organisations will work directly with AI developers and legal services providers to identify regulatory challenges, remove unnecessary barriers and improve understanding of how AI can operate within existing rules.

The advisory sandbox aims to provide greater clarity for organisations developing AI products and encourage responsible use of the technology.

Applications for participation will open later this summer. The government said the scheme will be available to LawTech firms, legal service providers and conveyancing businesses looking to test AI products and services.

Participation in the advisory AI Growth Lab will not constitute regulatory approval or authorisation. Existing legal and regulatory obligations will continue to apply throughout the programme.

Sue Bence, chief operating officer at legal services firm Farringdon, said the advisory sandbox was a “genuinely important” step for the UK legal sector.

“As an AI-native law firm, we know first-hand that the most exciting opportunities to improve client outcomes often sit at the edges of existing regulatory frameworks, and that what innovators need most is a route to test those ideas safely, with their regulator alongside them.”

This is one of a series of AI-positive moves made by the government in recent months. Earlier this week, the UK government rolled out new measures intended to help young people prepare for an AI-driven labour market. On Thursday, HM Revenue and Customs signed a deal to deploy an AI powered customer experience tool.

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