Thinking Like Mediators About the Future of AI

Imagine you’re a mediator and someone tells you what’s troubling them.  They’re deeply upset about a product they believe poses serious risks.  They cite past harms, question whether it should ever have been introduced, and urge that it be removed from the market or tightly restricted.  The product is already in widespread use, integrated into daily life, and – for many – has proven helpful.  What would you do?

I hope most of us would do what we train others to do:  listen carefully, help them identify their interests, and encourage them to reflect on the full picture – not only the part that feels alarming.  We’d help them explore multiple perspectives, consider realistic possibilities, and support thoughtful decision-making.

We don’t always use that approach in our field when talking about AI.  Some of us focus on the part of the glass that’s full and others on the part that’s empty.

That’s why I wrote a short essay, Thinking Like Mediators About the Future of AI – an effort to bring a dispute resolution lens to the “AI debate,” using the kind of balanced thinking we encourage in our students and clients.

Like some intense debates in the past, this one may fade more quickly than expected.  As AI becomes increasingly integrated into everyday life, the sharp divide between skeptics and enthusiasts may erode.  The conversation may shift – not from whether we use AI, but toward how we use it responsibly.  Rather than reaching a grand resolution, the controversy may simply become part of the fabric of daily life.

We’ve seen this pattern before.  Calculators, spellcheckers, and the internet all sparked anxiety when first introduced in schools and workplaces.  But over time, those concerns gave way to adaptation.  We now look back and wonder what all the fuss was about.  Obviously, AI has much greater potential risks.  And also greater potential benefits.

My article explores:

  • Why evidence of early problems with AI doesn’t prove they’re permanent
  • The important distinction between individual and societal impacts of AI
  • What a balanced analysis of energy use should include
  • How educators can help students become responsible and effective users of AI
  • How we can apply the conflict analysis frameworks we teach

Take a look.