Last June 23rd,2023 PhD student Francesca Valastro, member of the DIKE research group, participated in the Doctoral Consortium of the 19th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Law (ICAIL 2023) held at the University of Minho in Braga (Portugal). Francesca presented her research project, "Artificial Intelligence and Online Dispute Resolution in family law: a predictive tool for marital property disputes in Europe", receiving valuable feedback from top experts in the AI & Law domain.
The research explores the potential combination of predictive algorithms and Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) to prevent lawsuits and enhance out-of-court settlements in marital property disputes. By assessing the legal and ethical implications associated with the use of predictive tools in light of the standards set forth by the European Union, the study sheds new light on the need for developing predictive tools and ODR within family property law in Europe.
Given the existing obstacles in accessing justice and the increasing demand for dispute resolution, the opportunities and challenges posed by predictive algorithms are assessed by shifting the focus from the judiciary to the ODR context and from common law to civil law jurisdictions. Against this backdrop, the research aspires to underpin the conceptual framework of an integrated and compliant predictive ODR model targeting family property disputes after divorces without children.
The foreseen goal of integrating predictive legal technology into ODR is to empower divorcing couples to reach durable and satisfactory agreements, enhancing their decision-making and compensating for the weaknesses of human negotiation.
