Thomson Reuters Acquires Safe Sign Technologies to Accelerate AI Strategy
TORONTO, August 21, 2024 – Thomson Reuters (TSX/NYSE: TRI), a global content and technology company, announced today the acquisition of Safe Sign Technologies, a UK-based startup developing legal-specific large language models (LLMs).
“This acquisition represents a significant step forward in our strategy to combine our trusted content and domain expertise with cutting-edge technology,” said Joel Hron, Chief Technology Officer, Thomson Reuters. “Our internal assessments indicate Safe Sign’s models have demonstrated industry-leading performance in several domain-specific evaluations. By integrating them with our industry-leading content and expertise, we anticipate delivering even greater quality and performance in our AI solutions.”
Hron further explained, “This acquisition is expected to accelerate our ability to provide a professional-grade AI experience to our customers through CoCounsel AI Assistant – our generative AI assistant—empowering professionals across various industries to streamline their workflows.”
Safe Sign Technologies’ leadership team, Alexander Kardos-Nyheim and Dr. Jonathan Schwarz, commented, “Since 2022, Safe Sign Technologies has been at the forefront of legal AI research, making substantial progress in creating the world’s best proprietary legal LLM. Our world-leading team, comprised of experts from Cambridge, DeepMind, Harvard, and MIT, is excited to join Thomson Reuters to become a major scientific and industrial disruptor in legal AI.”
Alexander Kardos-Nyheim, the founder and CEO, established Safe Sign Technologies in February 2022, alongside leading Cambridge Law and AI professors and researchers. The team expanded with Dr. Jonathan R. Schwarz joining in late 2023 as co-founder and chief scientist. Schwarz brought extensive AI expertise and led the company’s LLM strategy, resulting in world-class legal LLM performance. The Safe Sign Technologies team now reports directly to Hron and will collaborate closely with the Thomson Reuters Labs team.
About Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters (TSX/NYSE: TRI) provides professionals with the trusted content and technology they need to make critical decisions. The company supports professionals in the legal, tax, accounting, compliance, government, and media sectors through its highly specialized software and insights. These solutions empower professionals with the data, intelligence, and tools required to make informed decisions and support institutions in their pursuit of justice, truth, and transparency. Reuters, a part of Thomson Reuters, is a leading source of trusted journalism and news. For more information, visit tr.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking statements regarding the benefits of the transaction for Thomson Reuters’ customers and professionals. The words “believe” and “expect”, among others, indicate forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future results. Actual events could differ materially due to various risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, many of which are beyond the company’s control. Thomson Reuters disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except where required by law.
