The Board Decision Gap: AI Transforms the Deal, But Boards Still Govern the Outcome
New global study finds AI-informed decisions are now expected, but human judgment remains decisive at board level
ZURICH, Switzerland, July 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a baseline expectation in dealmaking, with 62% of dealmakers saying human-only decision-making is no longer defensible and 71% believing firms that ignore AI today will not be able to compete over the next five years.
Yet the research also shows that boards remain the critical governance layer for AI-powered dealmaking, responsible for ensuring recommendations are accurate, auditable and accountable.
According to The New Deal Team, a new report from Datasite in collaboration with FT Longitude, 73% of dealmakers are already using AI for board reporting and governance, while just 22% are willing to let AI make the final recommendation on whether to sign a deal.
The findings point to a board decision gap: AI is transforming how deal information is gathered, analyzed and presented, but accountability for the decisive moment still rests with people.
The research, based on a survey of 1,000 senior dealmakers across 27 countries, also found that accuracy (71%), security (70%) and reliability (58%) are the top attributes required from AI, underscoring the need for boards to demand provenance, auditability and confidence in AI-informed recommendations.
Other key findings from the research include:
- 23% expect AI to deliver higher-quality decision-making at board level by 2030, suggesting that decision quality, not speed, is where AI is expected to pay back at the top.
Executive Comment
Tobias Häckerman, General Manager of Sherpany, said:
“AI is transforming the deal, but boards still govern the outcome. The data shows that AI-informed decisions are now the baseline expectation, yet human judgment continues to own the decisive moment. As AI becomes embedded in board reporting, analysis and recommendations, boards must demand accuracy, security, reliability and clear provenance. The organizations that succeed will be those that combine AI-powered intelligence with disciplined governance and high-quality decision-making.”
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 Sherpany
Sherpany is the leading meeting management and governance platform helping boards and executive teams make better decisions. Trusted by organizations across Europe and beyond, Sherpany streamlines board processes, improves governance and enables leaders to focus on decision quality, accountability and strategic outcomes.
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.
CONTACT:
Datasite
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