If you’ve never used an AI conflict resolution app before, the concept can sound abstract. Two people in conflict, a phone between them and an AI that somehow helps them resolve it. How does that actually work?
This guide walks through the FairTalk process step by step, from opening the app to leaving with a resolution plan. Understanding the structure in advance helps both people enter the session with realistic expectations and get more out of it.
The problem FairTalk is designed to solve
Most interpersonal disputes don’t require a lawyer or a therapist. They require a structured process and a neutral framework that neither person can easily derail when emotions run high.
The difficulty with trying to resolve conflict without any structure is that both people bring their own version of events, their own emotional state and their own communication habits into the same conversation simultaneously. Without a neutral framework, the conversation defaults to whoever is louder, more persistent, or better at argument, not necessarily to the most fair or accurate outcome.
FairTalk’s AI provides the structure that most people lack. It draws on evidence-based conflict resolution frameworks, including principles from the Gottman Institute’s couples research, nonviolent communication (NVC) and interest-based negotiation, and applies them to the specific conversation taking place.
According to research from the SSRN published in 2025, AI-facilitated structured mediation frameworks have shown a 23% higher resolution rate in interpersonal disputes compared to unstructured self-mediated attempts. The structure is the intervention.
Step 1: Both people consent to begin
Before any recording starts, FairTalk requires explicit in-app consent from both participants. This is not a formality. It is a foundational design choice.
Both people confirming consent signals to each other that they have chosen to engage in a structured process rather than a continuation of the argument. Research on dispute resolution consistently shows that voluntary, explicit participation is strongly correlated with agreement quality and durability. Agreements reached under pressure or confusion don’t hold.
Once both people have consented, the session begins. The consent is logged, the recording starts and FairTalk’s AI becomes active.
Step 2: Name the topic and set the context
The app prompts for a topic for the session. This sounds simple but is important: one of the most common reasons disputes remain unresolved is that the two people are not actually discussing the same issue.
Partner A may believe they are having a conversation about household responsibilities. Partner B may believe the conversation is actually about feeling respected. Without naming and agreeing on the topic, the conversation runs on parallel tracks.
FairTalk’s prompt, “What are we here to resolve today?”, forces a moment of shared framing before the discussion begins. This single step significantly reduces the chance of the session becoming a catch-all argument about everything that has accumulated.
Step 3: Talk it through, together
With one device between you, you simply talk. FairTalk listens to the conversation, so nothing important gets missed and the discussion isn’t interrupted by note-taking or form-filling.
Each person talks honestly about how they are feeling and their wants, knowing that the AI is impartial. The impartial nature of the AI matters because research on perspective-sharing shows that people are significantly more honest when they feel free of judgement and they trust those involved. By comparison, when discussing delicate matters with a mediator, counsellor or psychologist quite often this may be the first time a person or couple has met these individuals and trust is built over time with experience.
If the conversation reaches a point of escalation where productive dialogue has stopped, the session can be paused. This mirrors the evidence-based recommendation from Gottman’s research that a minimum 20-minute break is physiologically necessary when emotional flooding occurs. For more on why this matters, see our article on how to stop fighting with your partner.
Step 4: The AI analyses the conversation
Once the conversation is complete, FairTalk’s AI produces a structured summary that identifies:
- What each person said their experience was
- Where the two accounts overlap or align
- Where the accounts differ or conflict
- What each person said they need for a resolution
This summary is shown to both people simultaneously. It is not an editorial. It does not assign blame or declare one account more credible than the other. It is a factual mapping of where the two people are.
Seeing the summary often shifts the emotional register of the conversation. Conflict that felt personal and unresolvable becomes a problem with a structure, which is a different and more solvable thing.
Step 5: The resolution plan
The session concludes with a resolution plan generated collaboratively. Each person selects from a set of AI-suggested actions the specific commitments they are prepared to make. These become the documented resolution.
The plan is not legally binding. It is a shared record of what both people agreed to, visible to both parties in the app. Research on written commitment and accountability shows that people are substantially more likely to follow through on commitments they have explicitly articulated and documented than on verbal agreements made in the moment.
Both people leave the session with the same document: what was discussed, what was agreed, and what each person has committed to do differently.
Step 6: Follow-up and tracking
After the session, FairTalk allows both parties to track their committed actions. Nudge reminders are available through push notification or email, set by the user at whatever frequency is useful.
This follow-through layer matters because research on behaviour change consistently shows that the gap between intention and action is wide and predictable. Having a documented commitment with a visible status reduces that gap.
What FairTalk is not
FairTalk is not a replacement for professional help in situations that require it. If there is emotional abuse, coercion or a significant power imbalance in the relationship, AI mediation is not appropriate. These situations require human professionals and, in some cases, specialist support services.
FairTalk is also not a therapy tool. It does not treat mental health conditions, provide ongoing emotional support, or replicate the therapeutic relationship. For deeper relational difficulties or mental health factors contributing to conflict, a qualified therapist is the right resource.
For an honest look at what AI mediation can and can’t do, and when professional support is better suited, see what is AI mediation.
The cost comparison
A single session with a private mediator in Australia costs between $250 and $500 per hour. A couples therapy session typically costs between $150 and $300. FairTalk is a monthly subscription, and the professional services serving the same purpose are in the vicinity of ten times more expensive than using the application.
The cost difference matters not just because of the saving, but because of what the saving enables: resolution at the moment of conflict rather than three weeks later when an appointment becomes available. Conflict that compounds over time is more expensive, emotionally and practically, than conflict addressed early.
For a broader look at the real cost of leaving disputes unresolved, see our article on the cost of unresolved conflict.
Frequently asked questions
Does FairTalk work if only one person wants to use it?
Both people need to consent and participate for the session to work. FairTalk does allow one person to invite another via email or in-app. If your partner is reluctant, it is worth explaining what the process involves: it is not about winning or being judged, it is a structured conversation with the same rules for both people. That framing is often enough to get buy-in from a sceptical partner.
What happens to the recording after the session?
Audio is deleted from FairTalk’s servers once the session is complete. What you keep is the analysis and the resolution plan, visible to the two participants.
Can FairTalk be used for disputes outside of romantic relationships?
Yes. FairTalk’s structured session approach is applicable to family disputes, workplace conflicts and friendship breakdowns. The prompts are calibrated to the relationship type you select at the start of the session.
What if one person won’t accept the resolution plan?
Resolution is not something the AI imposes. It emerges from what both people have said they need and what they have chosen to commit to. If one person feels the plan does not reflect a fair resolution, the session can continue at another agreed upon time. If agreement cannot be reached, FairTalk can help identify the specific point of difference and suggest a process for returning to it.