AXA and rradar set to disrupt delivery of legal advice with innovative machine learning app

AXA Insurance has teamed up with legal experts rradar to launch a world first in legal and risk advice, powered by IBM Watson technology.

9 March 2017

Posted in Partnerships

Initially focusing on the UK market, ‘Grace’ is a machine learning-driven app which engages businesses directly with a virtual assistant to deliver the knowledge and experience of legal and risk management experts.

The intuitive and interactive nature of the app will bring extensive legal and risk expertise direct to business customers, helping to educate and empower them in their risk management.

Launched on 9th March, the rradar app will initially be available exclusively to AXA customers registered for online support through their AXA Management Liability product.

The first module will cover two of the traditional and significant learning burdens for most UK businesses - HR practice and employment law. This will be quickly followed by legal and risk modules such as health & safety law, corporate manslaughter, property law, environmental law, waste management duties and contract law. The app will be continually developed to anticipate and react to changing customer needs and legal landscape.

The machine learning technology provided by IBM Watson ensures that the more AXA’s customers use the rradar ‘Grace’ app the more intelligent it becomes in delivering straightforward and relevant content.    

rradar will be delivering video content, online training and documents as well as other dynamic features regularly to build knowledge for customers and deliver a unique user experience.

Dougie Barnett, Head of Customer Risk Management at AXA UK

We are delighted to be able to provide this exciting and innovative offering to our customers. Traditionally, good legal advice is costly and for many small businesses, difficult to access but with the rradar ‘Grace’ app, we are demystifying and simplifying the process by helping and educating our customers through their smart phones to prevent issues happening in the first place whilst still being there should the worst happen.

Dougie Barnett, Head of Customer Risk Management at AXA UK
Dougie Barnett, Head of Customer Risk Management at AXA UK

I believe that this has the potential to be the first truly disruptive application of technology in legal services. Almost every other profession or industry has adapted and benefited from the rapid development of technology but to date, the legal profession has remained largely removed.

The introduction of ‘Grace’ will bring legal expertise direct to those small businesses that need it most and I believe that this is just the start of a broader revolution of how legal advice is accessed and administered.

The rradar in-house design and technology team works alongside our various legal teams and gains a unique insight into real, everyday customer needs. When that is added to our teaching and education teams, it means that we will continue to blend, design and deliver the frontline services customers are asking us to provide.

Gary Gallen, CEO and Founder at rradar

AXA’s customers will be able to have many of their legal questions answered either at the touch of a button or simply by asking ‘Grace’ a verbal question. Some of the topics covered as the app develops include: 

  • Handling disciplinary/grievance/redundancy/TUPE
  • Tackling under/poor performance, unfair dismissal, settlement agreements, tribunals    
  • National/living wage, sick pay, holiday entitlement, maternity and paternity rights
  • Discrimination in the workplace
  • Apprentices/agency worker rights  
  • Contracts of employment/recruitment/gender gap reporting