14 DAY TRIAL // Where the heck is the angel you loved so much? The sweetheart turned in time into a f**king monster. And the most genuine love became the strongest hate. Lucky him/her you don't have a gun license.
Yes, there is no sweet divorce, but a new software is developed to make it less bitter.
The computer program mixes artificial intelligence, game theory and an electronic or human external mediator to conciliate divorcing couples for a more fair, rational, and less stressful way of separation.
In 2004, Emilia Bellucci and John Zeleznikow from Victoria University in Australia produced "Family Winner" to aid couples settle divorce disputes based on compromise. For instance, one of the ex-spouses could be more willing to keep the family car, thus he/she will be more likely to accept greater trade-offs in order to achieve it. The program uses the game theory concepts developed by mathematician John Nash. The ex-spouses are put separately to "rate" each of the disputed items in points reflecting the importance they give it.
If the wife scores 30 points to the car, while the husband just 20, this means she is more eager to keep the car. Each ex-partner has 100 points to value their preferred items or issues. The software, based on the given points, builds up an initial "trade-off map" and starts by solving the easiest disputed items, for which there are the highest point discrepancies. "The result, then, is a direct reflection of the priorities set by the disputants," Bellucci told LiveScience.
The partner who "loses" the first dispute receives extra points to score for the remaining items. The trade-off map is updated and the software goes on resolving the next "easiest" dispute, till they're all resolved, in a 50:50 scenario. "While "Family Winner" successfully met the needs of both husband and wife, it wasn't always fair to the needs of third parties, like children," said the authors.
The new software, called "Family Mediator", is developed to solve this issue. It relies on a mediator, either a family law practitioner or an electronic decision support system, depending on the requirements of the institution using it, to come with decisions that reflect also the kids' best interests.
"We have applied for a university grant, which if successful will lead as a by-product to a commercially viable mediation program. The software might then be adopted by social service professionals. And, perhaps not surprisingly, some family lawyers have already expressed interest in using it," said Bellucci.