Negotiation Engineering uses quantitative methods in a heuristic way to find an adequate solution to a set of complex negotiation problems. In doing so, it particularly draws on the decomposition and the formalisation of the problems at hand and the heuristic application of mathematical methods, such as game theory and mathematical optimisation, to reach agreement.¹³

Future Horizons:

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5-yearhorizon

Capacity-building accelerates negotiation engineering

The automated processing of text to make it machine-readable leads to more advanced models of areas of conflict. This allows stakeholders to map out and discuss potential futures before deciding on a course of action. The exploration of negotiation strategies using AI leads to widely available and expanded toolkits that can be used at every level of society.

10-yearhorizon

Mathematical thinking focuses international discussions

A new generation of scientists currently being trained in the grammar of computer science and in diplomacy become influential in the diplomatic world. This leads to an increasingly wide variety of international actors applying mathematical methods to their negotiation problems to help focus discussions and to make potential outcomes more logically accurate.

25-yearhorizon

Negotiating standards increase thanks to mathematical approaches

Automated negotiations using AI become common in the commercial world and on the international stage. This leads to more sophisticated deal-making — and more devious deal-breaking. Mathematical skills are common in positions of influence allowing negotiation engineering to become a standard tool in many negotiations.

This approach could help to reveal the ingredients of success for global cooperation. Numerous non-governmental organisations in complex networks currently aim to solve complex problems such as climate change and the challenges related to Sustainable Development Goals. And yet they often achieve far less than they hope. A better understanding of the way organisations should interact to achieve specific goals could change this.

Negotiation engineering has already achieved a number of practical successes. For instance, in the diplomatic sphere, the approach played a crucial role in the land transport agreement between Switzerland and the European Union, and in facilitating nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of nations.¹⁴

Negotiation engineering does not intend to replace face-to-face discussion and neither does it seem likely to ever do so. It may in some cases also have limited application: not all problems are quantifiable or should be reduced to a quantitative level. However, in case a negotiation involves problems with a particular degree of complexity and actors with a certain level of analytical capacity open to a rational approach, negotiation engineering can allow for more logical accuracy in finding pragmatic solutions while building trust between mediators.

The availability of negotiation tools powered by AI has triggered a transformative period in negotiation engineering. These tools are helping human negotiators become more effective and has kick-started a new era of automated negotiations with their own strategies and characteristics. This evolution is paving the way for a greater exploration of the strategy space and the development of new negotiation theories that encompass and extend established theory.^15,16