From mediator to chatbot

prospects for the transformation of ADR through artificial intelligence via digital platforms

Abstract

This article investigates the prospects and limitations of deploying intelligent chatbots on digital platforms for conflict resolution, considering current legal frameworks and technical constraints. The central research problem lies in the discrepancy between the increasing practical use of intelligent chatbots in digital alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedures and the persistently low level of judicial confidence in them, a gap that stems from the absence of clear criteria for assessing the accuracy and justifiability of decisions reached through artificial intelligence technologies. The research combines a doctrinal-legal analysis of relevant Russian regulatory acts and Russian arbitral and judicial practice with a case study of the chatbot functionality available on leading digital platforms with developed online dispute resolution systems (eBay, Alibaba, Modria, Yurrobot), and a comparative review of international experience in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and Colombia. The analysis identifies a clear “trend of mistrust” in Russian judicial practice towards information and data generated by AI based digital assistants, evidenced by recent rulings of the Sixth Court of Cassation, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea, the Eleventh Arbitration Court of Appeal, the Intellectual Property Court, and several arbitration courts. On this basis, the article proposes a five-stage model of digital support for the ADR process by intelligent chatbots, encompassing issue identification, data and background analysis, maintenance of focus on the dispute, optimisation of information resources for decision-making, and expanded access to digital forms of conflict resolution, and formulates six normative recommendations for the integration of intelligent chatbots into ADR procedures, including the development of evaluation methodologies for AI-generated information, certification of AI algorithms, and the establishment of standards for resolving disputes through chatbot functionality. The findings underscore that automating ADR does not eliminate the need for human oversight: chatbots are tools, not replacements for lawyers and mediators, and fairness and accountability remain the guiding principles for deploying artificial intelligence in dispute resolution.