AI Is Becoming Indispensable in Dealmaking, But Trust and Governance Will Determine the Winners

Global survey shows AI now embedded across M&A, with dealmakers prioritizing accuracy, security and human oversight

NEW YORK, July 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AI has moved from experimentation to essential infrastructure in M&A, with 62% of dealmakers saying human-only decision-making is no longer defensible in complex transactions and 71% believing firms that ignore AI today will struggle to compete within five years.

The findings come from The New Deal Team, a new report from Datasite developed in collaboration with FT Longitude and based on a survey of 1,000 senior dealmakers across 27 countries.

The research shows AI is now embedded across the deal lifecycle, from sourcing opportunities to due diligence and board reporting. Half of all respondents report regular AI use during due diligence, the stage delivering the highest reported return on investment, while 66% believe AI helps de-risk transactions throughout the deal process.

Yet as adoption accelerates, trust has emerged as the defining challenge. Accuracy (71%) and security (70%) rank as the two most important requirements for AI in dealmaking, while 58% of respondents rely on human review and validation to build confidence in AI-generated outputs.

The findings suggest that competitive advantage will not come from AI adoption alone, but from deploying AI in ways that are transparent, secure and trusted.

Four key findings from the research

1. AI is now mainstream in M&A
AI has moved beyond experimentation and is now embedded across the deal lifecycle.

• 96% of dealmakers are using or exploring AI for sourcing and screening opportunities
• 50% have AI regularly embedded in due diligence, the stage delivering the highest reported ROI
• 71% believe firms that ignore AI today will struggle to compete within five years
  

2. AI is influencing deal outcomes
Dealmakers increasingly view AI as a strategic advantage, not simply a productivity tool.

• 43% say AI is already making better deal decisions than humans in some scenarios
• 24% say AI helped them complete a deal they otherwise would have missed
• 66% believe AI helps de-risk transactions across the deal lifecycle
  

3. Human judgment remains the differentiator
As AI takes on more process-heavy work, dealmakers say the most valuable human skills are becoming even more important. The attributes respondents believe are hardest for AI to replicate include:

• Negotiation and relationship management
• Strategic judgment and prioritization
• Assessing trust, intent and credibility
• Making decisions under uncertainty
• Accountability for high-stakes decisions
  

Nearly half (45%) say the decision to sign a deal should always remain a human responsibility.

4. Governance is becoming a competitive advantage, but board-level use remains the final frontier.
As AI adoption accelerates, dealmakers are increasingly focused on using it responsibly.

• 24% believe poor use of AI could jeopardize major deals over the next five years
• 27% aren’t using AI for board reporting

Executive Comment
Raj Bakhru, General Manager of Blueflame AI, said:
“AI is becoming indispensable in dealmaking and investing, but adoption alone isn't the advantage. The real challenge is ensuring AI outputs are accurate, secure and trusted. Strong governance, transparent workflows and human oversight are what determine whether AI creates value or introduces risk. The firms that succeed will be those that build trust into every AI-powered decision.”

About the report
Datasite commissioned FT Longitude, the specialist research and content studio of the Financial Times Group, to survey 1,000 dealmakers at the C-suite or C-1 level across 27 countries in March 2026. Respondents represented corporate development, private equity, law, accounting and professional services and all had decision-making responsibility in at least three deals during the previous 24 months. Visit Datasite to download The New Deal Team report.

About Blueflame AI
Blueflame AI is the agentic AI platform purpose-built for investment and deal professionals. By combining advanced AI capabilities with enterprise-grade security, governance and workflow automation, Blueflame helps firms accelerate analysis, improve decision-making and unlock value across the investment lifecycle.

About Datasite
Datasite provides the infrastructure that enables information flow for private market transactions, with purpose-built tools utilized to optimize outcomes. Datasite’s innovative product portfolio, which spans sell-side virtual data rooms, buy-side intelligence (Grata), agentic AI applications (Blueflame AI), board meeting and governance management (Sherpany), and an open data infrastructure layer, drives execution across the full investment lifecycle while generating unique data insights to empower investors, advisors, and deal professionals worldwide. Trusted by top private equity and law firms, investment banks, and consultancies, Datasite is built on 26 years of enterprise-grade security, compliance, and reliability.

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