McKinsey & Company, a renowned consulting firm, has recently introduced an AI chatbot called Lilli to assist its clients in accessing valuable information. Lilli is an AI-powered search tool that provides easy access to McKinsey’s extensive knowledge base. When asked a question, Lilli scans the firm’s databases and presents five to seven relevant pieces of content, summarizing key points, providing links, and even identifying experts in the field.
McKinsey boasts a robust knowledge base that comprises more than 40 curated knowledge sources, over 100,000 documents and interview transcripts, and a network of experts spanning 70 countries. With the introduction of Lilli, McKinsey aims to make it easier to share and utilize this wealth of information. Erik Roth, a senior partner with McKinsey, explains, “Lilli aggregates our knowledge and capabilities in one place for the first time and will allow us to spend more time with clients activating those insights and recommendations and maximizing the value we can create.”
The development of Lilli involved collaboration between both clients and consultants, ensuring that the tool meets the needs of both parties. Clients and partners can now leverage McKinsey’s knowledge base for various business applications, enhancing their productivity. Several McKinsey partners have shared their experiences of incorporating Lilli into their workflow, using it to prepare for client engagements, meetings, and presentations. Adi Pradhan, an associate partner at McKinsey, explains, “I use Lilli to look for weaknesses in our argument and anticipate questions that may arise. I also use it to tutor myself on new topics and make connections between different areas on my projects.”
To ensure the effective and secure deployment of Lilli, McKinsey has a team of over 70 experts working on the chatbot. The firm plans to scale up the usage of Lilli across the business, making it available to thousands of colleagues by the end of the year.
While McKinsey has opted to develop its own AI model, many enterprises are also choosing to build their own generative AI models. This approach allows companies to tailor the language model to their specific business requirements and ensure the protection of sensitive company data.
The introduction of Lilli demonstrates McKinsey’s commitment to leveraging AI technology to enhance its services and provide clients with easier access to valuable knowledge and insights. With the increasing adoption of AI-powered tools in the consulting industry, it will be interesting to see how other firms respond and innovate in this space.
