Trent Cotney is a board-certified construction lawyer by the Florida Bar and is licensed in eight other states. He focuses his practice on all aspects of construction litigation and arbitration, including OSHA defense, lien law, bond law, bid protests, and construction document review and drafting.
Cotney is one of the featured panelist trainers of our AI Arbitrator. He discusses his experience with the tool.
Q. What surprised you most when you first worked with the AI Arbitrator?
What surprised me most was how quickly the AI Arbitrator could organize facts and frame the core issues.
Q. Where did your judgment matter most in shaping or refining the outcome?
My judgment mattered most in evaluating context and practical consequences. AI can process facts efficiently, but it still needs a human to weigh fairness in a way that fits the dispute.
Q. What do you think people misunderstand most about AI-led arbitration?
I think people misunderstand AI-led arbitration by assuming it is fully autonomous. It is not a substitute for judgment. It is a tool that can improve efficiency, but the quality of the outcome still depends on the human arbitrator reviewing the process.
Q. What role do you see AI-assisted decision-making playing in the future of arbitration and dispute resolution?
I see AI-assisted decision-making playing a growing role in arbitration and dispute resolution, especially in issue spotting and document analysis. It will not replace experienced decision-makers, but it will become a valuable support tool that helps make the process faster and more cost-effective.