“I’ve only got two tools my toolbox,”  divorce attorney Andy Pratt tells his clients.  “Either we negotiate an agreement with your spouse or we go to court and let the judge decide.”

Maybe now he will be able to add a third tool to his toolbox.

A robot mediator using artificial intelligence and an algorithm has settled a court case in Canada.  A client disputed a fee charged by a personal trainer.

The parties had tried mediation with a human but failed to resolve their case.

Then the parties tried Smartsettle ONE, an online program which allows parties to make offers and counter-offers by moving flags along sliders.  Another program, Smartsettle Infinity, allows participants to include conditions in their settlements.

They settled the case in less than two hours.

What’s next – a robot mediator for family law cases?