Monthly Member Meeting | Artificial Intelligence and the Human Heart of Conflict: What Every Conflict Professional Needs to Know About AI

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming how we communicate, make decisions, and navigate conflict. From drafting difficult emails and preparing for mediation to summarizing documents and generating settlement ideas, AI is already changing the way conflict professionals work. But alongside these opportunities come important questions about ethics, privacy, bias, accountability, and the irreplaceable role of human judgment.
This engaging and interactive session explores both the promise and the limitations of AI through the lens of conflict resolution. Participants will gain a practical understanding of how AI works, where it excels, where it fails, and how to use it responsibly. Through real-world demonstrations, relatable examples, and practical decision-making frameworks, attendees will leave with the confidence to integrate AI thoughtfully into their professional practice—without compromising trust, empathy, or ethical responsibility.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand how modern AI actually works—and why it sometimes gets things spectacularly wrong.
• Identify practical ways AI can improve communication, mediation preparation, and conflict management.
• Recognize the ethical, privacy, and bias considerations that every conflict professional should understand.
• Apply a practical decision framework to determine when AI should—and should not—be used.
• Preserve the uniquely human skills of empathy, judgment, trust, and accountability in an increasingly AI-assisted world.

Speaker Bio: 
Don Schapira, Q.Med., PM, CDS®
Don Schapira is an accredited family mediator, conflict resolution practitioner, and founder of Fresh Start Mediation, one of Western Canada’s leading mediation firms. With extensive experience helping families, workplaces, and organizations navigate high-conflict situations, Don is passionate about making conflict resolution more accessible, practical, and human.
A frequent speaker and educator, Don has served as Lead Presenter and Past Chair of the Government of Alberta’s Conflict Resolution Day Committee, delivering training to thousands of Albertans since 2019. His work focuses on communication, critical thinking, negotiation, and the responsible integration of emerging technologies into professional practice.
In addition to his mediation work, Don co-hosts a local community podcast, where he explores leadership, dialogue, and complex social issues through thoughtful conversation. His presentation on Artificial Intelligence and the Human Heart of Conflict reflects his belief that while technology can enhance our work, empathy, ethical judgment, and human connection remain at the heart of effective conflict resolution.

**Guests are welcome to attend one Monthly Member Meeting. To attend again, we invite you to join our association**