Rise offers closed AI sandboxes for workplace testing

Swedish research institute Rise is offering closed AI sandboxes to help organizations test open AI models on their own work material. Conny Björnehall, Rise’s focus lead for digitalization and AI, says sensitive data and a lack of operational expertise can keep projects stuck at the pilot stage.

The sandbox runs models on one or more servers. Equipment can be placed on an organization’s network or at Rise, on servers set aside for that customer. The environment can also run without an internet connection. Organizations choose models with Rise and compare how they perform on the same tasks. The tests are intended to inform decisions about suitable models, computing capacity and whether to proceed.

The service is not tied to a particular computer. Björnehall mentions Dell computers and Nvidia’s H100 graphics processor as possible equipment; the setup depends on what an organization wants to test. Rise aims to offer an entry-level option from around 250,000 Swedish kronor, with the price depending on the arrangement.

Rise will provide installation, training and support during the test period. Some organizations have asked to keep equipment at Rise’s data center because they lack staff or infrastructure to operate it themselves. After testing, they can continue using the environment or move to their own operations or regular service partner.

A closed environment does not determine which information an organization may use. Björnehall says that responsibility remains with the organization, which should consult its information security staff. He says healthcare data is not the material he envisages starting with. Rise’s offer is a technical test environment, distinct from regulatory AI sandboxes where systems are developed and tested under supervision; offline operation does not replace an organization’s assessment of permitted data use.