On the afternoon of 3 September, 11th China Enterprise Rule of Law Forum (2023) (the “Forum”), co-hosted by China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), China Enterprise Confederation (CEC)  Rights Protection Committee, China Group Companies Association (CGCA)  Legal Committee, and Home for Veteran Arbitrators, organized by Beijing JunZeJun Law Offices , was successfully held in Beijing. The theme ofthe Forum is “Impact of AI Technology Development on Arbitration”, which aims to have an in-depth discussion on the development of AI technology, and its impact on judicial and arbitration procedures, arbitration hearings, arbitral awards, as well as the opportunities and challenges of arbitration development in the era of AI.

(Xie Changqing,Vice President of CIETAC, delivering a speech)

Vice President Xie Changqing said in her speech that online filing, remote video hearing, electronic service, electronic document exchange platform, stenography and other hightech methods had been fully applied in the arbitration cases accepted by CIETAC. In 2022, the number of CIETAC’s online filings has reached 1,340, accounting for nearly one-third of the total number of filings for the year, and the number of online hearings has reached 1,906, accounting for one half of the total number of hearings. In addition, the 10th edition of arbitration rules,which will be published by CIETAC and come into effect next year, has supplemented provisions on the priority of electronic service of arbitration documents, the discretion of the arbitral tribunal to hold hearingsonline, the validity of the arbitrators’ e-signature, and the electronic text of the award, etc., so as to respond to the concept of technological empowerment and adapt to the needs of technological arbitration. On the other hand, the application of AI technology in international arbitration is still in the process of being improved and upgraded, and the issues of procedural justificationin individual cases and the balance between efficiency and fairness in the context of AI are equally worthy of the attention of law theoretical and practical communities. Finally, Vice President Xie Changqing also said that CIETACwould continue to strengthen the application and update of new technologies, and endeavor to provide the parties with efficient, convenient, fair and impartial intelligent arbitration services.

(From left to right: Wang Yaoguo, Director of theCGCA Legal Committee and Secretary General of the Home for Veteran Arbitrators, Li Yunbo, Director of the Beijing JunZeJun Law Offices, and Yao Huanqing, Assistant Dean of theLaw Schoolof Renmin University of China andDeputy Director ofResearch Center for Civil and Commercial Law )

The Forum was hosted by Wang Yaoguo, Director of CGCA Legal Committee and Secretary General of the Home for Veteran Arbitrators, Li Yunbo, Director of the Beijing JunZeJun Law Offices, and Yao Huanqing, Assistant Dean of the Law School of Renmin University of China and Deputy Director of Research Center for Civil and Commercial Law, respectively. Focusing on the theme of the Forum, Chen Qiwei, Deputy Director of the Information Centre of the Supreme People's Court, introduced the construction of Intelligent Court and the far-reaching impact of AI on the development of arbitration by interpreting the Opinions on Regulating and Strengthening the Applications of Artificial Intelligence in the Judicial Fields ; Zheng Xi, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of the Law School of Beijing Foreign Studies University , elaborated on the application of generative AI in the judicial fields from the perspectives of its prospects, risks and regulations; and Fang Yu, Director of the Research Center for Internet Law of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology , gave his opinion on how to promote the fine-grained governance of generative AI.

(From left to right: Chen Qiwei, Deputy Director of the Information Centre of the Supreme People's Court, Zheng Xi, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of the Law School of Beijing Foreign Studies University, and Fang Yu, Director of the Research Center for Internet Law of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology)

In the Panel Discussion, Xu Xiaotian, Senior R&D Manager of IBM (China), talked about the combination and development of AI and the in-house counsel; Zhuo Yunong, In-house Counsel of IBM (China), clarified her viewpoints on the impact of AI on in-house counselsand lawyersin practice;Tang Gongyuan, Senior Partner of Beijing JunZeJun Law Offices, analyzed the impact of AI technology on arbitration hearings in light of his own experience of using AI; Xu Yongjian, former General Counsel of China National Aviation Fuel Group Limited , analyzed the impact of AI technology on the outcome of the award from the perspective of an arbitrator; and Su Sa, Deputy Director of the CIETACResearch Institute, elaborated on the impact of AI technology on arbitration procedures from the perspective of an arbitration institution.

(From top left to bottom right: Xu Xiaotian, Senior R&D Manager of IBM (China), Zhuo Yunong, In-house Counsel of IBM (China), Tang Gongyuan, Senior Partner of Beijing JunZeJun Law Offices and Arbitrator, Xu Yongjian, former General Counsel of China National Aviation Fuel GroupLimited and Arbitrator, and Su Sa, Deputy Director of the CIETAC Research Institute)

Liu Zhumei, Chief Judge of the Environment and ResourceTribunalof the Supreme People’s Court, Zhang Zheng, Vice President of the Beijing Lawyers Association  and Senior Partner of Beijing Dacheng Law Offices, LLP , and Xi Xiaohong, Former General Counsel of China National Chemical CorporationLtd. , made concluding remarks on the Forum.

(From left to right:Liu Zhumei, Chief Judge of the Environment and Resource Tribunal of the Supreme People’s Court, Zhang Zheng, Vice President of the Beijing Lawyers Association and Senior Partner of Beijing Dacheng Law Offices, LLP, and Xi Xiaohong, Former General Counsel of China National Chemical Corporation Ltd.)

More than 60 guests from arbitration, business, lawyers and academia attended the Forum. The Forum grasped the hot topics of current affairs and arbitration practical issues, and achieved a complete success with enthusiastic response.