APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN ALTERNATIVE DISPUTES RESOLUTION IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This article focuses on the application of artificial intelligence in alternative dispute resolution
in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. Adopting the doctrinal research methodology, this article
revealed that the application of artificial intelligence in ADR is desirable in present day
evolving society. Again, there is no specific law on the application of artificial intelligence in
ADR proceedings in Nigeria and the existing institutions on ADR proceedings at both national
and international levels lack the required security and technological architecture, efficiency and
support to ensure the smooth application of artificial intelligence in ADR especially in the oil
and gas industry. The development of robots and avatars like ‘sophia’ for instance clearly
exemplifies how artificial intelligence can be applied in ADR proceedings. Lack of a robust
legal regime and poor infrastructural facilities are some of the identified challenges militating
against the successful application of artificial intelligence in alternative dispute resolution
procedures. Others are lack of adequate and enhanced software for coding algorithm and
programming, resistance to change as well as digital divide. Despite these challenges, the
application of artificial intelligence in ADR procedures in the industry offers benefits of better
performance through rule-based tasks such as electronic recovery of documents with higher
level of accuracy, lower cost implications and time saving factor. Artificial intelligence offers
the elimination of all forms of human-bias associated with human ADR and an inbuilt policy
for the detection of corruption and negative influences of human arbitrators in alternative
dispute resolution proceedings.