A global simulation designed to explore and enhance the role of artificial intelligence in negotiation planning and managing complex relationships. Participating teams will represent a range of stakeholders—states, regional organisations, humanitarian actors, and others—negotiating around a joint declaration of principles on irregular migration in the Euro-Mediterranean Zone.
The advancement of AI is poised to revolutionise the craft of negotiation, transitioning it from an individualised, case-by-case practice to a more systematic and ambitious profession. With AI tools offering unprecedented capabilities for complex analysis, negotiators can achieve deeper insights into party positions, stakeholder dynamics, and areas of influence.
The AI Negotiation Challenge is a structured process that allows participants to explore how AI can enhance negotiation strategies while contributing to a growing global movement. By participating in the AI Negotiation Challenge, individuals not only enhance their own negotiation skills but also become part of a global movement to redefine negotiation as a systematic, AI-supported, and transformative discipline.
Objectives
- Enhance AI fluency in negotiation through hands-on exercises and a friendly competition, engaging with AI tools to refine your strategic approach
- Explore AI’s transformative potential as a platform for collaborative negotiation, addressing global challenges such as migration
- Leverage AI’s analytical capabilities to assess complex environments, evaluate stakeholder positions, and identify areas of compromise, enhancing traditional negotiation expertise
Step-by-Step Approach
to Engaging in the AI Negotiation Challenge
Starting April 15, 2025, registered participants are invited to begin their journey on the AI Negotiation Network platform that introduces key modules for crafting and utilising AI assistants in negotiation. Developed by Frontline Associates in collaboration with researchers at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, this platform offers essential foundational resources, including:
- Video tutorials
- Live tutorials
The AI Negotiation Network platform also offers interactive case studies where experienced practitioners demonstrate the planning and execution of negotiations in contentious domains such as climate change, migration, or social and humanitarian crises. These walkthroughs provide participants with insights into real-world applications of AI in negotiation and allow them to practice their skills and test their models in simulated environments.
In the two weeks leading up to the simulation, participants enter a focused phase of preparation, guided by a dedicated coach from the FA community of practice. This step is designed to help teams refine their strategies and deepen their understanding of both the process and substance of negotiation. Coaches provide case-based materials tailored to specific domains of the upcoming AI Negotiation Challenge dealing in the first instances with the irregular migration in the Euro-
Mediterranean zone. These resources allow teams to immerse themselves in the complexities of their assigned role and scenarios and develop informed approaches.
Coaches are available to answer questions about the negotiation process, ensuring teams are fully equipped to perform effectively. Team leaders have the additional opportunity to meet and coordinate their efforts, fostering collaboration and alignment. Since the challenge is structured as an amicable event with a mix of on-site and online activities, these coaching and coordination sessions are essential for seamless execution.
The coaching phase concludes a few days before the event, ensuring teams are prepared to engage confidently in the AI Negotiation Challenge and demonstrate the transformative potential of AI in negotiation.
The AI Negotiation Challenge is a two-day hybrid event, hosted at Villa Barton in Geneva and combining online and on-site participation.
Programme overview
DAY 1 (morning)
Panel discussion, Briefings and Instructions
- Keynote Address (AI & Negotiation)
- Panel 1: Challenges of migration negotiation
- Panel 2: AI role in diplomatic negotiation
DAY 1 (afternoon) and DAY 2
The Global Simulation
- Round 1: Document Analysis and Interpretation
- Round 2: Engaged Negotiation on Key Issues
- Round 3: Press Conference on Final Document
Award Ceremony and Certificates
An awards ceremony concludes the event. All participants receive certificates of participation, signed by the governing members of Frontline Associates and senior representatives of the Geneva Graduate Institute.
More about the AI Negotiation Challenge>
I am grateful to the Geneva Graduate Institute and the organisers for the opportunity to participate in the AI Negotiation Challenge, which taught me how AI can be a powerful ally in negotiations by offering new ways to structure arguments, assess stakeholder interests, and reach mutually beneficial agreements—skills that will be invaluable during any kind of negotiations.
Ayana Alseitova
The AI Negotiation Challenge significantly strengthened my understanding of AI-driven skills by immersing me in a dynamic, experiential learning process where AI played a central role in strategy development and analysis. Engaging directly with AI tools enhanced my ability to critically assess, adapt, and apply negotiation techniques in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
Nino Likokeli
