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While the outlook for M&A certainly grabbed the headlines coming out of Tulane, we would be remiss not to provide insights into our survey when we asked dealmakers what they thought the impact of AI would be on the deal business itself.
While many see the 2026 M&A market as bullish, some have begun to raise concerns as artificial intelligence causes historic uncertainty in the market, especially in software. Our survey, which was published before Tulane, dove deeper into the impact of AI on dealmaking.
While one survey respondent said AI is “going to change everything” the majority of respondents shared some similar thinking – our main three takeaways were that AI will improve sourcing and drive efficiency in the deal process, and that it will shape kinds of deals in the future as companies look to build capacity. We also got a kick out of one of the cheekier answers from one dealmaker who will “defer to Claude” on AI’s impact.
Beyond dealmaking itself, the impact of AI looms large over the future of the media and legal professions. During last week’s M&A and the Media panel, the panelists noted they feel the technology should currently just be used as a tool – not a substitute – because AI lacks critical elements of human judgment, particularly in analysis, discerning truth, and sourcing. This sentiment was furthered on the panel by Bloomberg Opinion’s Matt Levine who pointed to the shortcomings of AI, emphasizing the importance of building a trusted, ongoing relationship with readers, which he described as a “parasocial” connection that drives engagement and keeps audiences returning to his writing.
Further use of AI as a tool to thrive in this new “AI Era” was also the theme of an open letter written by our friend Sabastian Niles, President and Chief Legal Officer at Salesforce. He argues that “AI is no longer a future capability — it’s the enabler and catalyst for a fundamental shift in how law and professional services firms create value.” The letter goes on to discuss shifting client expectations and how AI, with trust, can become a competitive advantage before finishing with a call to action for legal professionals to come together to design this reimagined future.
With Spring finally in the air, we are excited about MLB Opening Week where our optimism for M&A is almost matched by our expectations for our beloved Mets and even the Yankees. Finally, we know some of you will be spending the weekend cleaning your homes of all chametz, or leavened bread and goods, in anticipation of Passover, and we wish our readers who celebrate Chag Pesach Sameach.
Have a great weekend,
GPP team
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