Editorial
AI Now Runs the Deal Room — Trust Will Pick the Winners
AI is now embedded across M&A, but a new Datasite study of 1,000 dealmakers finds trust and governance — not adoption — will separate the winners.
Tag
Dealmaking
Financial Services
M&A Diligence Now Starts with ChatGPT
AI-powered summaries from tools like ChatGPT are becoming the first step in M&A diligence, influencing deal models and offer ranges. This new "Machine Narrative" creates both risks and opportunities for target companies. Strategic buyers, in particular, are heavily relying on AI summaries, leading to potential "retrieval distortion" that can compress offer prices. Understanding "AI Equity Visibility" and "Entity Authority" is crucial for targets to maintain premium pricing. Sell-side advisors need to conduct AI Visibility Audits and manage the target's online presence to prepare for this evolving M&A landscape.