AI-driven alternative and online dispute resolution in the European Union: An analysis of the legal framework and a proposed categorization

This paper focuses on the impact of the new EU AI Act in alternative and online dispute resolution. After briefly analysing the state of the art regarding international regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) and the strategy followed in the European Union (EU) in the field of dispute resolution, the research provides a critical discursive overview of the international existing legal guidelines and frameworks for the use of AI in dispute resolution, aiming to identify the different levels of risk addressed by the EU IA Act in this context. The paper also offers forward-looking reflections intended to contribute to the improvement of the current legal framework on AI applied to dispute resolution in the EU. To this end, it identifies various AI tools applicable to the justice sector, highlighting their main advantages and limitations. It then outlines the most relevant hard law and soft law instruments at both international and European levels, with a particular focus on the strategy implemented by the EU leading to the adoption of the current EU AI Act. The study also reviews initiatives carried out by organisations to promote the ethical use of AI in judicial systems and examines the legislative approach adopted by the EU to regulate AI in the field of justice. Finally, the paper proposes a new categorisation of AI-assisted alternative and online dispute resolution mechanisms based on their degree of risk and autonomy.