What if the best way to improve your negotiation skills was to rehearse the conversation before it ever happened?

In this episode of AI at Work, I sit down with Professor Alexandra Mislin from American University’s Kogod School of Business to explore how AI is quietly reshaping the way professionals prepare for high-stakes conversations. Recently featured in Fortune, Professor Mislin has been teaching her students to use AI as a negotiation practice partner, helping them clarify priorities, test assumptions, and even role-play difficult scenarios before walking into the room.

Negotiation is one of those skills we use every day, whether we label it that way or not. It shows up in salary discussions, scope changes, vendor renewals, internal disagreements, and those tense moments where trust feels fragile. The problem is that most people learn under pressure, with real consequences and little room to experiment. Professor Mislin’s approach offers something different. She teaches core negotiation skills first, then introduces AI as a thinking partner rather than a decision maker. The goal is not to outsource judgment, but to sharpen it.

We talk about how AI can help professionals clarify what they truly want before a conversation begins. We explore how tools can surface blind spots, generate counterarguments, and simulate different negotiation styles. Professor Mislin also shares why she is less worried about AI creating formulaic responses or overconfidence than many critics assume. In her view, reducing ambiguity can actually empower more people to advocate for themselves and engage in everyday negotiations they might otherwise avoid.

Trust, emotion, and identity remain at the heart of every negotiation. That human element does not disappear. Professor Mislin explains how AI can help diagnose a breakdown in trust or draft the structure of an apology, but sincerity still requires real human presence. As AI automates more routine exchanges, the competitive advantage will belong to those who know how to combine analytical tools with interpersonal intelligence.

We also look ahead to what negotiation education may become in an AI-rich workplace. Instead of occasional training sessions, professionals could have continuous, on-demand coaching. Yet the skills that remain uniquely human, listening deeply, regulating emotions, and making difficult calls under uncertainty, may become even more valuable.

If you have ever walked away from a difficult conversation thinking of everything you wish you had said, this episode offers a practical way to prepare differently. How are you using AI to think before you ask, and what changed when you did?