Reward part of organisation's multi-million collegiate bonus pool
A law firm in the United Kingdom has announced it will reward employees with a £1-million bonus pot if they hit one million Microsoft Copilot prompts.
Shoosmiths announced the new initiative as part of the company's move to reward AI utilisation to provide better client services.
"The firm has set a clear and ambitious annual target: one million Microsoft Copilot prompts to unlock a £1m bonus pot for staff in its new financial year," the company said in a media release.
According to the law firm, the target can be "comfortably exceeded" if every Shoosmiths colleague uses Copilot four times per working day. Usage of Microsoft Copilot will be tracked and shared across the firm, with monthly updates to encourage collaboration and learning.
The reward, which is part of the organisation's multi-million collegiate bonus pool, will be available to all staff once the target is achieved.
But David Jackson, chief executive of Shoosmiths, clarified that their programme was not initiated just to get employees to use AI for the sake of it, but to recognise their role in using the technology.
"This is not just about how many times someone uses AI — it's about how well we use it and the benefits it will have for our clients," Jackson said in a statement. "We're giving our people the tools, the space and the encouragement to explore what's possible — together. And that's where the real power lies."
The initiative makes Shoosmiths the first major law firm in the UK to link its firm-wide bonus to employees' use of artificial intelligence.
It comes as the organisation reported positive impact from AI when it comes to efficiency, including the establishment of new roles such as Innovation Leads in each Division, Head of Legal Innovation, and a new Data Manager.
"We don't fear AI—it won't replace our people," Jackson said. "Instead, it frees them to spend more time on the human-to-human work that really matters: solving problems, building trust, and supporting clients through complexity."
The programme demonstrates the measures organisations will take to improve AI utilisation in spite of some scepticism in the workforce.
In the UK, an estimated seven million people have now used generative AI tools at work, according to Deloitte.
Research from the professional services network last year revealed that while GenAI users are generally optimistic about the technology's potential, non-users are markedly less positive.
In fact, only 36% of non-users believe GenAI can create better work experiences for employees, while only 46% believe that GenAI can help businesses improve their products and services.
