Mike Pipkin is an attorney, arbitrator and mediator with over 35 years of experience representing clients in complex construction, business, and insurance litigation and trials. Through his service as a mediator and arbitrator, Mike is using his extensive experience and dispute resolution training, to help people and companies solve their problems and disputes.
He was one of the first testers of the AI Arbitrator, and shares his insights below.
What surprised you most when you first worked with the AI Arbitrator?
What stood out to me most throughout this process was how attentively the developers listened. Week after week, our feedback was thoughtfully incorporated into the product. Just as importantly, arbitrators will review the outcomes, make revisions when necessary, and sign the final award, helping to build confidence in the integrity of the process.
Where did your judgment matter most in shaping or refining the outcome?
My role was hands-on and substantive: testing and validating the system’s outputs, evaluating the logic and structure of each step, and assessing the overall user experience. The goal was clear: to make the AI Arbitrator not only accurate and effective, but also practical and user-friendly for real-world dispute resolution.
What do you think people misunderstand most about AI-led arbitration?
I expect that many people think that using AI Arbitrator will mean that their dispute will be decided completely by artificial means, without the involvement of an experienced human arbitrator. Dispelling that misunderstanding will ease concerns about using AI Arbitrator and will lead to more widespread acceptance of how AI-led arbitration can resolve disputes in a fair and expedited fashion.
What role do you see AI-assisted decision-making playing in the future of arbitration and dispute resolution?
AI-assisted decision-making can be a valuable tool for litigators at all stages of dispute resolution. It can be used in the middle of construction projects, to resolve issues that could cause delays. For “documents only” disputes, the time for reaching a conclusion to an arbitration could be sharply reduced. And, for the unilateral “Resolution Builder” application, attorneys can run multiple scenarios for clients, to help assess possible outcomes that could drive the best course of action.