AI in ADR
AI-Generated Emails in the Workplace | CA Regs on Automated Decisionmaking | Liberal Democracies Retreating from AI Safety?
This human-curated, AI-generated newsletter from the AAA-ICDR Institute and AAAiLab keeps you up on AI news over the past week that is relevant to alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
AI in ADR and Legal Services
AI means lawyers must double down on this one skill
Fortune
Kate Barton
As artificial intelligence streamlines routine legal tasks, the true differentiator for law firms shifts toward emotional intelligence—skills like empathy, judgment, and relationship-building that AI cannot replicate. Success in the legal field will increasingly depend on lawyers’ ability to navigate complex human dynamics and foster trust, making investment in emotional intelligence as critical as technological adoption for future competitiveness.
AI Lab is Coming to UChicago Law
University of Chicago Law School
Nadia Alfadel Coloma
The University of Chicago Law School is launching an innovative AI Lab course where students will build a generative AI chatbot to help renters understand their legal rights. Guided by legal tech entrepreneur Kimball Dean Parker, students will create a specialized legal database and learn the entrepreneurial and technical skills needed to develop legal-tech products, preparing them for a future where AI is integral to the legal profession and expanding access to justice.
Meet the early-adopter judges using AI
MIT Technology Review
James O'Donnell
Judges face mounting pressure to use AI tools that promise efficiency but carry significant risks, including inaccurate or fabricated information influencing critical legal decisions. Unlike lawyers, judges’ errors can directly shape legal precedent with little transparency or recourse. While AI can assist with routine tasks, overreliance threatens both judicial integrity and public trust, especially in high-stakes cases where thoughtful human judgment is essential.
Australian lawyer apologizes for AI-generated errors in murder case
ABC News / Associated Press
Rod McGuirk
An Australian defense lawyer admitted to submitting court documents containing fake quotes and nonexistent case citations produced by AI, causing a delay in a murder trial. The incident highlights ongoing global concerns about lawyers relying on unverified AI-generated legal research, undermining trust in judicial proceedings. Similar cases in the U.S. have resulted in sanctions, underscoring the need for strict verification and adherence to court guidelines when using AI in legal work.
Generative AI and LLM Developments
The Metrics Generative AI Chatbots Really Need
CMSWire.com
Laurence Lock Lee
As organizations rapidly adopt AI chatbots, ensuring trustworthiness becomes critical, since generative models can produce plausible but incorrect or misleading answers. Traditional chatbot metrics miss key risks like hallucinations and content gaps. New analytics, including confidence scores, sentiment analysis, document tracing, and thread monitoring, are essential to improve reliability, auditability, and user trust—especially as chatbots handle sensitive or compliance-related queries in enterprise settings.
Why AI emails can quietly destroy trust at work
ScienceDaily / University of Florida
Widespread use of generative AI for workplace writing boosts message professionalism but undermines trust when managers rely on it for personal communications. Employees are quick to notice heavy AI involvement, perceiving such messages as less sincere and questioning managerial integrity and care. While minor AI editing is acceptable, overuse for relationship-driven messages erodes confidence in leadership, suggesting managers should reserve AI for routine tasks and personalize important communications.
The enterprise AI paradox: why smarter models alone aren’t the answer
TechRadar
Stuart Abbott
While AI is widely discussed in business, most enterprise projects remain stuck at the demo stage due to challenges in deploying and integrating advanced models. The future lies in agentic AI—networks of specialized, autonomous agents collaborating across business functions. For true transformation, companies must overhaul infrastructure to enable real-time data, shared memory, and trustworthy, auditable decisions, shifting from isolated models to intelligent, adaptive systems that drive meaningful outcomes.
AI impacts on Accessibility
assaph.substack.com
Assaph Mehr
AI technologies are transforming digital accessibility, offering tools that greatly enhance independence for people with disabilities, such as providing image descriptions and daily assistance. However, challenges remain: AI can make mistakes, automated accessibility checks are limited, and financial and digital literacy barriers persist. True accessibility requires human oversight, ongoing effort, and thoughtful integration of AI as a supportive—not standalone—tool, ensuring technology benefits rather than excludes vulnerable populations.
AI Regulation and Policymaking
California Finalizes AI Regulations For Automated Decision-Making Technology
callaborlaw.com
Linda Wang
California has introduced new rules requiring employers to provide clear notice and oversight when using AI-driven tools for employment decisions, such as hiring or performance evaluations. Businesses remain accountable for AI systems used by third-party vendors and may need to conduct risk assessments. The evolving regulations demand ongoing compliance efforts, with a deadline of January 1, 2027, for meeting new notification standards regarding automated decision-making technology in the workplace.
Liberal Democracies Are Retreating From AI Safety
Default
Jakub Kraus
In 2025, major democracies, led by the G7 and influenced by the Trump administration, have pivoted away from emphasizing AI safety and risk mitigation, instead prioritizing economic opportunity, innovation, and global competitiveness. This shift is fueled by geopolitical rivalry, industry lobbying, and AI’s proven benefits, but raises concerns that insufficient international coordination and safeguards could leave societies unprepared for future, potentially catastrophic AI risks.
Amid severe UK droughts, the government advised residents to delete old emails and photos to save water, citing data centers’ cooling needs. Critics argue this shifts responsibility from major water-consuming industries, like AI and tech, to individuals, despite such actions having negligible impact. More effective water-saving measures include repairing leaks and reusing water, while digital data deletion likely does little to address water shortages.
European Union: General-purpose AI obligations under the EU AI Act kick in from 2 August 2025
Global Compliance News
José María Méndez, John Groom
Starting August 2, 2025, companies offering general-purpose AI models in the EU must comply with new legal requirements under the EU AI Act. To support this, the European Commission released detailed guidelines and an officially approved Code of Practice, outlining how providers should interpret and meet these obligations. These resources aim to clarify expectations and help companies demonstrate compliance as the regulatory landscape evolves.
An Open Door: AI Innovation in the Global South amid Geostrategic Competition
Center for Strategic & International Studies
Noam Unger, Madeleine Mclean
Kenya and Nigeria are establishing AI knowledge centers and partnering with major tech firms to build local AI capacity, infrastructure, and skills. U.S. private sector investment and open-source platforms are catalyzing digital growth in developing countries, but sustained progress requires stronger governance, regulatory frameworks, and restored U.S. development agency expertise. Collaborative, ethical, and inclusive AI ecosystems are essential for equitable global development and to prevent technology-driven inequality.
AI News from Other Fields
The Future of AI-Driven Risk Mitigation
Insurance Thought Leadership
Sid Dixit
Insurance companies are transforming risk management by using AI and generative AI to deliver personalized risk assessments and proactive mitigation, moving beyond generic models. Centralized data integration and agentic AI enable real-time detection and response to emerging risks, while ethical oversight ensures fairness and accountability. This shift empowers insurers to predict and prevent losses more effectively, balancing technological innovation with responsible governance for greater resilience and societal benefit.
Using AI Made Doctors Worse at Spotting Cancer Without Assistance
TIME
Miranda Jeyaretnam
A recent study found that doctors who regularly used AI tools for colonoscopy detection became less skilled when working without AI, suggesting overreliance on technology can erode critical diagnostic abilities. While AI assistance improved detection rates, its absence revealed a drop in clinician performance, raising concerns about "deskilling" and the need for safeguards to ensure essential medical skills are maintained as AI becomes more widespread in healthcare.
An AI Social Coach Is Teaching Empathy to People with Autism
Stanford University Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence
Sarah Wells
Stanford researchers developed Noora, an AI chatbot using large language models to help individuals with autism spectrum disorder practice and improve social communication skills, particularly empathy. In a randomized trial, participants using Noora significantly enhanced their ability to respond empathetically, with gains transferring to real human interactions. The project aims to make social skills training more accessible and is expanding to additional modules and broader public testing.
Pinterest CEO says agentic shopping is still a long way out
TechCrunch
Sarah Perez
Pinterest is positioning itself as an AI-powered shopping assistant, leveraging advanced recommendation and personalization technologies to enhance user experience, but its CEO believes fully autonomous AI shopping agents remain distant. The company faces challenges with AI-generated low-quality content and moderation issues, prompting new user controls. Despite strong sales, earnings missed expectations, while Pinterest emphasizes responsible AI use and continues to attract a growing Gen Z and male user base.
Gen AI is coming for online checkout in seismic shift for internet shopping
CNBC
Kevin Williams
Generative AI is reshaping online shopping by enabling purchases directly within chat interfaces, eliminating traditional checkout steps and streamlining the buying process. Major players like PayPal and eBay are embracing these changes, integrating AI-driven, personalized experiences to stay competitive. While established payment platforms are expected to adapt, smaller fintech companies may face increased challenges as AI-powered commerce becomes more central to digital retail.
FedEx Launches Intelligent AI-powered Customs Solutions in APAC to Streamline Global Trade
FedEx
FedEx has introduced two AI-driven tools—Customs AI and the HTS Code Lookup Feature—to help Asia-Pacific customers streamline international shipping. These solutions simplify the complex process of preparing customs documents by guiding users to select accurate tariff codes, reducing errors, delays, and costs. The tools also provide educational resources and real-time compliance updates, enabling businesses to navigate evolving trade regulations and manage cross-border shipments with greater efficiency and confidence.
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