JAMS is a proud sponsor and co-host of “Minds vs. Machines? AI’s Promise and Limits in Mediation and Arbitration” with the Center for Law and Technology at Berkeley Law in collaboration with Jus Mundi, Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center (SVAMC), and Greenberg Traurig.
As Artificial Intelligence transforms industry after industry, the fields of mediation and arbitration face urgent, foundational questions:
- Can AI truly understand human conflict?
- Should we trust algorithms to make decisions that shape the future of justice?
This two-part program—part of a global series spanning Milan, New York, Madrid, São Paulo, and Mexico City—is designed to confront these questions head-on. Each session brings together leading practitioners, academics, and technologists for a rare, unfiltered look at the evolving intersection of AI and dispute resolution.
Introduction
- Wayne O. Stacey, Berkeley Law
Panel 1: AI in Mediation
Title: Live Simulation. Real Dispute. One Human Mediator. One Digital.
As AI continues to evolve, so do its implications for conflict resolution. Can a machine replicate the ethics, intuition, and emotional intelligence of a seasoned mediator—or does it merely simulate empathy while shortcutting nuance?
In this first-of-its-kind interactive roundtable, participants will observe a live simulation of a complex, cross-border commercial dispute, mediated in parallel by a skilled human mediator and multiple generative AI systems.
This session explores how each mediator—human and digital—interprets emotion, navigates bias and power dynamics, and steers parties toward resolution.
Audience members will be invited to engage critically, reflect openly, and help shape the global conversation on what AI can—and cannot—do in the fragile realm of human conflict.
Simulation Participants and Speakers:
- Steven M. Bauer , Esq., FCIArb, JAMS
- David Bloch, Greenberg Traurig (San Francisco)
- Giuseppe De Palo , Esq., JAMS
- Ray Huang, Greenberg Traurig (San Francisco)
- Annie Lespérance, Jus Mundi (New York)
- Sasha Rao, Nixon Peabody (San Francisco)
Panel 2: AI in Arbitration
Title: Who Picks the Arbitrator—You or the Algorithm?
Should parties and institutions rely on AI to select arbitrators? Can algorithms promote neutrality, diversity, and efficiency—or do they risk entrenching bias and eroding trust?
Structured as a mock arbitration hearing, this dynamic session features:
- Counsel advocating for AI-assisted arbitrator selection
- Counsel opposing the proposition
- A three-member tribunal that will examine both positions and deliver a non-binding opinion
Audience members won’t just observe—they’ll participate, challenge assumptions, and help shape the debate in real time.
Moderator:
Tribunal Members:
- Maria Chedid, Arnold & Porter (San Francisco)
- Zela ''Zee'' G. Claiborne , Esq., JAMS
- Annie Lespérance, Jus Mundi (New York)
Counsel:
- Robert Mahari, Stanford Codex (Palo Alto)
- Sarah Reynolds, SVAMC AI Task Force (Palo Alto)
- Luke Sobota, Three Crowns (Washington, DC)
- Rachel Thorn, Cooley (New York)
This hearing-style format will probe what is gained—and what may be lost—when we let algorithms shape arbitration’s most human decisions.
Why Attend?
Whether you are a mediator, arbitrator, counsel, policymaker, technologist, or academic, this two-part program offers a provocative and immersive journey into the future of dispute resolution. From live simulation to live debate, from theory to applied ethics, each session is designed to challenge assumptions, surface insights, and build a deeper understanding of the human–AI interface in conflict resolution.