Episode #1
M&A's Biggest AI Risk Isn't What You Think
Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving fast in mergers and acquisitions (M&A). However, governance is not. Dealmakers are using AI to accelerate diligence, sharpen analysis and streamline execution, but the rush to adopt new tools is creating new exposure related to security, accuracy and control. In this episode of The Dealist podcast, host Catherine Ford is joined by Liam Stoker from Reuters Professional and Ashwin Moranganti from SS&C Intralinks to unpack findings from AI in M&A Dealmaking: A Benchmark Study . Based on responses from 400 global deal professionals, the research reveals just how quickly AI is becoming embedded in deal workflows — and where the risks are beginning to outpace the safeguards. The conversation explores: • Why AI adoption is no longer the headline — governance is • What it means that nearly 80 percent of dealmakers have experienced AI-related security or accuracy incidents • Why senior leaders remain cautious even as deal teams push ahead • How tool sprawl is creating new challenges across the deal life cycle • Why permission-aware access, secure AI architecture and model context protocol (MCP) matter to M&A workflows Subscribe to The Dealist podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dealist/id1805660414 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zinlPsfd2xDuY10zdIBqJ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/intralinks Further reading Download AI in M&A Dealmaking: A Benchmark Study here: https://www.intralinks.com/resources/reports/ai-ma-dealmaking
