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In this episode, Partner Neil Millar interviews Partner Tom Maasland, head of our Technology division, to discuss the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the M&A landscape. Tom provides expert insights into how AI is enhancing efficiency and accuracy in key areas of the M&A process, from due diligence to contract drafting and integration strategy. He also addresses the opportunities and challenges of adopting AI tools within the complex regulatory and operational environment of M&A.

[01:05 ] Tom provides a foundational definition of AI, its applications, and subsets like machine learning and generative AI.

[02:40 ] Neil and Tom dive into practical applications for AI in M&A, such as legal compliance, due diligence, and M&A strategy.

[02:39 ] Tom talks about how AI tools are accelerating processes in M&A, with use cases across legal compliance, due diligence, document preparation, and post-merger integration. 

[05:15 ] Tom outlines that AI’s performance in M&A is mixed. While helpful in routine tasks, AI struggles with nuances in contracts and can generate inaccurate outputs due to hallucinations or data limitations, particularly for non-United States jurisdictions.

[10:03 ] Neil and Tom discuss the challenges of AI models that lack regional knowledge, like New Zealand’s M&A market, which limits effectiveness.

[13:07 ] Tom outlines that AI will continue to evolve, especially in analysing patterns in past M&A deals to identify successful strategies.

[13:21 ] Tom predicts AI will eventually improve knowledge retention, negotiation support, and strategic insights by learning from historical deal data. However, the human element will remain crucial to ensuring AI’s effectiveness in high-stakes transactions.

[16:23 ] Tom and Neil discuss AI’s future role in deal-making. While AI’s data-driven insights support decision-making, they agree that human judgment will remain critical, especially in high-stakes M&A decisions.

Information in this episode is accurate as at the date of recording Friday, 6 September 2024.

Please contact Neil Millar, Tom Maasland or our Corporate or Technology team if you need legal advice and guidance on any of the topics discussed in the episode.

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For show notes and additional resources visit minterellison.co.nz/podcasts