AI is influencing mediators in decision-making in international dispute resolution

More than 4,500 global thought leaders in the legal, business, and government sectors transcended into Singapore for the Singapore Convention Week (SC Week) 2024, which seeks to discuss matters relating to global dispute resolution. 

The convention, supported by Singapore's Ministry of Law (MinLaw), in collaboration with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), was held between 26 August and 30 August 2024 at the Shangri-La Hotel.

As a platform that brings together leaders, experts, practitioners, and policymakers from the legal, business, and government sectors, SC Week 2024 seeks to discuss emerging trends, address common issues, deliberate on innovations, and exchange insights in dispute resolution.

In addition, the convention serves as a platform for discussion of a rapidly changing global landscape brought about by technological advancements, economic shifts, and geopolitical changes.

SC Week 2024 is designed as a platform for leaders to gain focus on providing insights into harnessing emerging technologies and exercising strategic foresight to thrive amidst continuous change.

Given the need for the international legal and business fraternity to navigate an increasingly complex global landscape, leaders could walk away with essential tools and in-depth analysis centred around the theme of 'Separating Disruptions from Distractions in an Evolving World'.

Effects of AI on the legal sector

Speakers at the convention discussed various topics, such as how Artificial Intelligence (AI) affects the legal industry and the digital economy and the explicit focus on Generative AI in dispute resolution.

For instance, Lawdify Chief Executive Officer and Founder Eliza Jiang touched on the tools professionals use in their daily lives, how to maximise the use of AI, and the foreseeable changes to the legal industry with AI in the coming years.

In addition, with advancements in AI rampant over the past few years, organisations have also been using technological advancements to make processes such as mediation more efficient.

"We have been looking at how to leverage technology to help make the mediation process more efficient," said Mr George Lim SC, Chairman of the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC). "MAIA (Mediation Artificial Intelligence Assistant) is our attempt to use AI to assist the mediator and parties."

He also shared that, through AI, SIMC has simplified processes such as summarising voluminous documents, highlighting the timelines of a dispute, and drafting preliminary settlement agreements.

The Future of Singapore’s Legal Scene

Singapore's Legal Scene has seen increased awareness and accountability in the past few years, with many more disputes between investors and governments becoming prevalent globally.

Many investors and government parties are increasingly flying into Singapore to have their cases mediated because they trust the Singapore brand and system.

In addition, at the global level, Singapore is known as an international mediation hub. The Singapore Convention on Mediation (a United Nations treaty that allows for the enforceability of international commercial mediated settlements) has been at the forefront of mediation in cross-border, cross-cultural disputes.

Building on the momentum, SC Week, together with Singapore's MinLaw and UNCITRAL, aims to establish itself as a group that continues to bring together experts and professionals worldwide to share ideas and experiences in dispute resolution.