Hoque, Pentland and Gratch reflect on how the projected progress in Artificial Intelligence (AI) could impact the way negotiations take place in the future. The conference was organized by Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School.

On May 17th and 18th, 2020 the Program on Negotiation (PON) hosted a virtual working conference on AI, technology, and negotiation.

In 1994 PON convened a conference on computers and negotiation that was prescient in many respects. Much has happened in the last quarter century that no one could foresee. This conference explored the expanding role that technology is playing in negotiations and where it may lead.

The PON Working Conference on AI, Technology, and Negotiation was designed to:

  • Convene scholars, teachers, and practitioners to share insights, experiences, tools, and their expectations for further developments.
  • Inform PON and its affiliates regarding opportunities for field research and development of computer-based apps and exercises for teaching.
  • Generate material for a special issue of the Negotiation Journal and foster on-going collaboration.

The conference kicked-off with an opening session called State of the art moderated by Ehsan Hoque (speakers included Sandy Pentland and Jonathan Gratch).

With AI’s ability to decipher subtle human behavior, motivations, and persuasiveness as good as humans—in some cases, better than humans—what new possibilities can we envision? Can we train a computer avatar to represent humans in virtual negotiations? Should we? This panel discusses the technological, ethical, and societal implications of how AI could potentially transform the field of negotiations while continuing to promote equality, transparency, and peace.

To review the entire content of the conference, please visit https://www.pon.harvard.edu/teaching-materials-publications/working-conference-on-ai-technology-and-negotiation/