Effective: November 3, 2025
INTRODUCTION; ACCEPTANCE; DEFINITIONS
Welcome to the American Arbitration Association®’s Digital Dispute Resolution Center (the “DDRC™” or “Platform”). The Platform leverages generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) technology to help advance arbitration matters—binding or non‑binding—from filing through award in an expedited fashion under the AAA AI Led Arbitration Rules (the “Rules”).
The Platform performs certain administrative tasks for your arbitration and uses AI to provide you, your opposing party, and the human arbitrator on your case with preliminary summaries, timelines, and other case analyses, and to generate a draft award for the human arbitrator’s review. Human oversight, review, and feedback by the parties, the human arbitrator, and AAA Case Management occurs at defined points throughout the case. For binding arbitrations, the human arbitrator, not AI, issues the final award and, for parties who choose non‑binding arbitration under the Rules, the human arbitrator, not AI, issues the advisory, non‑binding award.
The Platform will communicate with you regularly to guide you through the process. In most situations, those communications will be sent by AI (not a person) through the Platform or by email. By using the Platform, you agree to these DDRC Additional Terms of Use (“DDRC Terms”). In these DDRC Terms, “you” refers to the party, representative, or user accessing the Platform, and “AI Outputs” means any AI‑generated summaries, timelines, analyses, recommendations, draft language (including draft awards), or other content produced by the Platform.
SUPPLEMENTAL TERMS; PRECEDENCE
These DDRC Terms supplement the AAA Terms of Use and the AAA Privacy Policy (collectively, the “AAA Terms”).
The Rules govern the procedural aspects of matters administered through the Platform.
If there is any conflict: (a) the Rules control with respect to procedure and case administration; (b) these DDRC Terms control with respect to use of the Platform and AI features; and (c) otherwise, the AAA Terms control.
NO LEGAL OR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE; NO ADVISORY RELATIONSHIP
Although the Platform, including its AI features, assists in the administration of an arbitration, AI Outputs and Platform communications do not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client or advisory relationship. Only the human arbitrator, who operates independently of the AAA, issues the final award. Parties should consult their own counsel regarding legal questions or decisions affecting their interests.
HUMAN VALIDATION BY DESIGN
The DDRC pairs AI with human judgment and experience. The AI used in the Platform acts as an analytical tool to organize and reason through case documents and uses legal reasoning to draft a recommended award, which a human arbitrator reviews and revises, if needed, before issuing a final award. Human judgment remains central at every step. Parties validate that their claims and submissions are accurately summarized by the AI, and then the entire AI-led case analysis is validated for logic, fairness, and legal soundness by an experienced human arbitrator trained in AI arbitrator oversight.
While the AI is designed to be accurate, like all AI tools, it may generate information that is incorrect, incomplete, outdated, or biased, and the AAA does not monitor the AI Output in real time. The DDRC’s “human in the loop” structure allows every decision to be grounded in real legal judgment. Every award remains the human arbitrator’s award, not the AI’s. The AI assists, but the decision—and accountability—remains human.
The Platform may share certain AI Outputs with the parties to facilitate case management. Such materials are informational and do not constitute determinations of fact or law and do not bind the human arbitrator. The human arbitrator may accept, modify, or disregard any AI Output and is not bound by it.
CONFIDENTIALITY; “CLOSED” AI SYSTEM; DATA USE
The Platform’s AI operates in a protected, “closed” environment designed so that case information you provide and AI Outputs are not used to train or expand the foundation models powering the Platform.
The AAA prioritizes maintaining and protecting the confidentiality of arbitration case information and has designed the Platform so that case data resides within this protected environment; however, no system can guarantee absolute security.
The AAA may use de‑identified and aggregated operational data (for example, usage metrics, performance statistics), generalized insights, and your voluntary feedback to maintain, secure, and improve the Platform and AI features. This may include, without limitation, training, finetuning or expanding the AAA’s private instance or application layers of the foundation AI model. However, this information is not used to train, finetune or expand the underlying foundation models.
THIRD‑PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS; TRANSFERS
The AAA may engage vetted third‑party service providers to support the Platform and AI features, subject to confidentiality and security obligations. Your submissions and related data may be processed by such providers. Linked services and providers are subject to their own terms and privacy policies.
SENSITIVE INFORMATION; DATA MINIMIZATION
Do not include unnecessary sensitive personal information (e.g., Social Security numbers, government IDs, payment card numbers, bank account numbers, protected health information, precise geolocation, or information regarding minors) in your uploads or revisions to or feedback on the AI Outputs. Unnecessary information includes any such sensitive information that is not relevant to or necessary for your case or required by the Platform, the Rules, or applicable law. Where permitted or required, you are responsible for redacting or minimizing sensitive information.
USER REPRESENTATIONS; PROHIBITED CONDUCT
You represent and warrant that your use of the Platform will comply with the Rules, applicable law, these DDRC Terms, and the AAA Terms.
You agree not to: (i) use the Platform or AI Outputs to generate or disseminate unlawful, harmful, false, misleading, discriminatory, infringing, or abusive content; (ii) attempt to probe, circumvent, or reverse engineer the Platform or any AI system; (iii) misuse the Platform to evade orders, procedures, or deadlines; (iv) submit malware or engage in activity that degrades the Platform’s integrity or security; or (v) use AI features to violate the Rules, orders, or procedures.
The AAA may suspend, restrict, or discontinue your use of the Platform for violations, in its discretion.
OWNERSHIP; LICENSE TO SUBMISSIONS
As between you and the AAA, you retain any rights you have in your submissions, subject to the Rules, the DDRC Terms, and the AAA Terms. You grant the AAA and those it works with a perpetual non‑exclusive, worldwide, royalty‑free license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, and create derivative works of your submissions to operate, administer, secure, and improve the Platform and administer your case under the Rules.
SERVICE RELIABILITY; CONTINGENCIES; TIMELINES
If the Platform or AI services experience degradation, outage, or integrity concerns, the AAA may pause, reschedule, or adapt milestones and deadlines, or transition some or all case administration to non‑AI processes under the Rules. The AAA will provide notice through the Platform or by email whenever possible.
ELECTRONIC ACCEPTANCE; AUTHORITY; COMMUNICATIONS
By selecting “Continue,” you consent to transact electronically and acknowledge that your acceptance constitutes an electronic signature under applicable law. You represent that you have authority to bind yourself and, if applicable, the entity or individual you represent. You consent to receive case communications electronically through the Platform and by email.
UPDATES TO DDRC TERMS
The AAA may update these DDRC Terms from time to time. The AAA will provide notice by posting revised terms in the Platform. Changes are effective when posted. Continued use after any update constitutes acceptance of the updated DDRC Terms.
HELP; QUESTIONS
If you have any questions about the Platform or the AI Led Arbitration Rules, please click the Help button in the upper right‑hand corner.
BY CHECKING THE BOX BELOW AND CLICKING “CONTINUE,” YOU CONFIRM AND AGREE THAT:
- You have read and understand these DDRC Terms, including the description of the Platform, the role AI will play in the resolution of your case, the benefits and limitations of AI and the Platform, and our role in ensuring accurate outcomes.
- This case will be administered using the Platform under the AI Led Arbitration Rules, available at https://www.adr.org/rules-forms-and-fees/ai-led-arbitration-rules/. The human arbitrator, not AI, will issue the final binding award or, if selected, advisory, non‑binding award.
- AI Outputs generated in your case are informational and non‑determinative; the human arbitrator may accept, modify, or disregard them. You will have the opportunity to review, validate, and correct AI‑generated information where prompted.
- AI Outputs and Platform communications do not constitute legal or professional advice, and you will consult your own counsel as needed.
- You will not use the Platform for unlawful, harmful, or fraudulent purposes and understand that the AAA may suspend, restrict, or discontinue your use for violations.
- The AAA Terms of Use and the AAA Privacy Policy also apply when using the Platform.
- The AAA may use your submissions, the AI Output, de‑identified data, insights, and feedback to help improve the Platform and the AI it relies upon.
IF YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR CASE HANDLED AND DECIDED THROUGH THIS DDRC PLATFORM UNDER THE AI LED ARBITRATION RULES AND INSTEAD WANT TO HAVE THE AAA ADMINISTER YOUR CASE THROUGH ITS TRADITIONAL PROCESS AND RULES (HTTPS://WWW.ADR.ORG/FILE-A-CASE/), PLEASE LOG OUT NOW AND DO NOT CLICK “CONTINUE.”