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The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) in Middle-Market companies is an innovative tool. In some industries, AI serves as a main factor in the financial process of buying and selling businesses. For business owners, AI adds yet another challenge—especially when it appears as a nebulous cloud disguised as digital magic. What makes AI effective is the concept of “human in the loop,” where human expertise guides AI capabilities.

JANAS recognized this issue of growing complexity early on, as client systems required consistent and predictable technology investments. The introduction of AI marks a significant technical advancement, but it is only the beginning of the investment journey.


While writing this article, I was delighted to explore a new approach: consulting a web-based AI chatbot for strategies to counteract the business impacts of AI technology. In essence, I used AI to develop a strategy against AI.

I asked the Chatbot the following question:

It is crucial for Middle-Market business owners to identify and manage AI exposure in the M&A landscape to protect their business’s future. What steps can owners take to address this challenge?

The Chatbot answered:

Due Diligence Enhancement, Valuation Accuracy, Deal Sourcing, Risk Assessment, Post-Merger Integration, Market Trend Analysis, Democratization of Information, Cost Reduction, Improved Decision Making, and Talent Acquisition.

A list without consistently documented execution steps and checks by trusted experts is meaningless. To its credit, the Chatbot followed up by asking if I wanted further elaboration on any of the topics. I replied yes, requesting further details on Talent Acquisition in M&A.

The response I received included detailed descriptions and breakdowns for the following eleven recommended activities and programs:

Skills and Competency Mapping, Cultural Fit Assessment, Predictive Attrition Models, Performance Forecasting, Compensation Analysis, Talent Market Analysis, Succession Planning, Integration Planning, Skills Gap Analysis, Legal and Compliance Risks, and Knowledge Transfer Mapping.

JANAS is adopting AI for the benefit of our clients!

The JANAS Mergers & Acquisitions Team actively collaborates with experts to share and compare AI technology impacts, ensuring optimal support for clients’ emerging needs. We help navigate the AI landscape, overlaying our proven 30-year M&A best practices with the requirements of the evolving technical environment. JANAS offers a disciplined yet customizable due diligence framework that meets the goals of both buyers and sellers.

About the Author 

Derek Scoble joined JANAS to provide extensive business and project management experience. He specializes in proposal development, vendor and contract management, decision-support tool development, risk management, Software Quality Assurance, systems engineering Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V), methodologies and standards development, and all aspects of organizational and systems assessments.

Phoenix, AZ • jds@janascorp.com • (406)-461-1962 • LinkedIn