The scope of AI tools discussed spans consumer and enterprise products—ChatGPT, Copilot, Google AI, Otter.ai, Whisper, and Dragon among them—alongside broader categories like large language models and agentic systems. The essay acknowledges a material risk: cloud-based transcription and dictation services create confidentiality exposure in a field where privilege and privacy are foundational. The full contours of Geigerman's recommendations remain unclear from available summaries.
Mediation's dependence on confidentiality, human judgment, and process control makes AI integration a live operational question for practitioners now, not later. Mediators are already using these tools for case preparation and information synthesis. The timing matters because it signals the profession is moving faster than its ethical and procedural frameworks. Attorneys should monitor how state bar associations, mediation organizations, and courts begin to address disclosure obligations, data handling, and the boundaries of permissible AI use in settlement processes.