A recent Hague Institute for the Innovation of Law webinar, held on November 6, brought together international experts, policymakers, justice tech innovators, and institutional leaders for a dynamic conversation on the future of accessible justice. “Solving the Justice Gap for SMEs: Protecting People and Their Livelihoods in the Age of AI” explored how AI, paired with alternative dispute resolution (ADR), can transform outcomes for small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) around the world.
Maya Markovich, vice president of the AAA-ICDR Institute™, participated as a webinar panelist. The AAA-ICDR Institute, through its research and public-interest mission, plays an industry-leading role in shaping conversations at the intersection of AI, ADR, and access to justice.
In today’s rapidly changing business environment, accelerated by AI, access to justice is not only a legal right but an economic necessity. While large companies often have the infrastructure to absorb legal costs, many small businesses lack the time, resources, and financial capacity to manage disputes effectively. A single dispute can stall growth or jeopardize business viability. Access to fair, affordable, and timely resolution is essential to stability and long-term success.
Throughout the webinar, panelists highlighted the importance of creating legal systems that support SMEs. Central themes and insights are shared below.
AI in Legal Innovation: Expanding Access for SMEs
The first panel featured a new generation of justice tech innovators designing AI-powered tools to help close the justice gap for SMEs. Speakers shared platforms that are reshaping the way entrepreneurs navigate legal challenges, offering a more accessible, efficient path to resolution:
- Contend Legal (UK) demonstrated how AI-powered triage can help small businesses identify legal problems, draft essential documents, and quickly connect with experts.
- E-Tafakna (Tunisia) presented its multilingual, legally binding contract generator and AI assistants, Alisa and Kahina, which offer plain-language explanations rooted in local law—providing accessible support in regions where legal language or cost can be a major barrier.
- E-Arbitrator (Kenya) introduced its global network of over 600 arbitrators across 75 countries and its chatbot Salomon, which guides users in structuring disputes and understanding international arbitration frameworks. Users can also connect directly with a human arbitrator if desired.
These innovators illustrate a growing global trend: AI in legal processes can make dispute resolution more accessible and manageable for SMEs while preserving human judgment, safeguarding fairness, nuance, and trust throughout the process.
Promises and Pitfalls: Responsible AI Integration
Panelists also acknowledged that, while AI offers extraordinary potential, it may also create significant risks and constraints, particularly within justice systems. Bias in training data was a frequently cited concern. Because AI systems reflect the information they are built on, the concern is that they can inadvertently reproduce geographic, linguistic, or cultural gaps. These challenges are especially pronounced in regions where legal materials are not digitized or where terminology varies widely.
Speakers emphasized the need for:
- Transparency and accountability, ensuring that any AI-assisted recommendation or decision can be meaningfully reviewed.
- User-driven design, with tools built around the lived experiences of SME owners rather than solely from a technologist or regulatory perspective.
- Hybrid or low-tech approaches where appropriate, recognizing that the best solutions for some communities are not always the most technologically advanced but those that are most inclusive and accessible.
These discussions reinforced a core principle: AI dispute resolution tools and services must support justice, not automate it. To protect rights and livelihoods of SME’s and their owners, humans must remain central to oversight, interpretation, and decision-making.
Building the Ecosystem for Responsible Innovation
The second panel turned its focus to the broader ecosystem needed to support the responsible development and deployment of AI in legal justice systems. They emphasized that innovation must be matched with thoughtful collaboration, investment, and AI governance structures.
- Government Leadership: Bishop Famubode emphasized that AI-enhanced justice systems should be treated as critical economic infrastructure. Just as broadband connectivity drives digital economies, accessible justice drives commercial confidence and growth.
- Community-Driven Innovation: Varun Hemachandran described how India’s Agami Initiative fosters collaboration between local entrepreneurs, courts, and major tech companies to create AI tools tailored to diverse communities and legal contexts.
- Policy and Investment: Maya Markovich highlighted the need for regulatory flexibility that encourages innovation while protecting users. She recommended:
- Non-prosecution policies for mission-driven justice tech
- Diversion programs routing certain cases into ADR
- Greater impact investment
Markovich framed investment in justice technology as “smart economics,” noting that fair and efficient dispute resolution strengthens trust, accelerates recovery, and improves the health of business ecosystems. Her recommendations reflect broader initiatives underway at the AAA-ICDR Institute, including a court diversion eligibility screener, ODR Innovation Clinic, development of AI governance standards, and research aimed at advancing safe, equitable, and scalable AI solutions in ADR.
Looking Ahead: A Human-Centered, AI-Enabled Future
Throughout the webinar, a unifying message emerged: access to justice is both a moral obligation and an economic imperative. By integrating AI with time-tested ADR processes, the global community can build systems that genuinely serve smaller enterprises, helping them not only resolve disputes but contribute fully to economic growth and community well-being.
American Arbitration Association® as a Partner for SMEs
As AI accelerates change, the American Arbitration Association’s leadership in ADR offers a crucial anchor. Its longstanding commitment to delivering efficient, equitable, and accessible dispute resolution services extends well beyond traditional case administration and now guides the organization’s integration of new technologies to support better outcomes for all.
As part of the American Arbitration Association, the AAA-ICDR Institute conducts research, convenes stakeholders, and advances policy discussions that strengthen justice systems for individuals, businesses, and communities. Its mission recognizes that access to justice is a shared public good—essential to human dignity, economic stability, and societal resilience.
By fostering dialogue, supporting mission-driven initiatives, and developing AI governance standards for responsible innovation, the AAA-ICDR Institute is helping shape a future justice system that is powered by AI yet firmly grounded in human values. This includes championing tech-enabled, scalable solutions that expand access to justice for the billions of people underserved by traditional legal systems—including SMEs—and setting standards for AI governance and the responsible use of AI in ADR.
Conclusion
When SMEs have fair access to justice, they do more than resolve disputes. They strengthen economies, support livelihoods, and build lasting trust in the rule of law. Through continued research and partnership, the AAA-ICDR Institute will remain a driving force in building justice systems that empower SMEs and strengthen economic resilience worldwide.