AI IN ADR: ETHICAL, LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
The growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) within alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes is creating new opportunities for efficiency while also raising complex ethical, legal and professional questions. As AI tools assist with document review, case analysis and procedural support, practitioners must address issues such as transparency, bias, confidentiality and the appropriate limits of automated decision support.
Dispute resolution professionals are increasingly expected to balance innovation with professional responsibility and procedural fairness. Clear governance, informed oversight and careful risk assessment are becoming essential to ensure that the use of AI supports, rather than undermines, confidence in the ADR process.
Technological change and the future landscape of ADR
AI has begun to reshape the ADR landscape in recent years in a variety of ways. It is, perhaps, a double-edged sword, as while AI offers efficiency gains, it also introduces new ethical considerations that must be carefully addressed.
It remains difficult to fully quantify the long-term impact AI will have on the dispute resolution space. Nevertheless, it is increasingly clear that dispute resolution professionals are keen to integrate AI into their work. Studies conducted by the Thomson Reuters Institute, including its 2026 ‘AI in Professional Services Report’ and 2025 ‘Future of Professionals Report’, indicate that AI adoption in the legal sector has moved from early experimentation to becoming a strategic, foundational technology. According to Thomson Reuters, 80 percent of legal professionals surveyed believe AI will have a significant impact on their work over the next five years, while 72 percent view AI as a positive tool.
Jul-Sep 2026 issue
Richard Summerfield