AI and Negotiation
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When AI Joins the Negotiation
Dear Business Professional,
Laura’s story says a lot about how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way we negotiate. Here’s how she tells it:
I oversee procurement for a national retail organization. On paper, my job is relatively straightforward: negotiate contracts that protect the company while maintaining strong supplier relationships.
In practice, it’s anything but.
At any given time, I’m responsible for hundreds of supplier agreements—many of them routine, and many that are time-sensitive.
Historically, we’ve relied on standard contracts for many of these relationships. Why? There simply isn’t enough time to negotiate each one individually, and as a result, value is left on the table.
It soon became clear that what we had wasn’t a skill problem—it was a capacity problem. With so many suppliers in our book, I knew I needed a better way to prepare for negotiations without burning out my team or compromising outcomes.
I started looking into ways to address this issue and stumbled upon a free special report from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School called AI and Negotiation.
At first, I was cautious. Negotiation is personal. It requires judgment, trust, and an understanding of human behavior. I wasn’t convinced AI had a role to play.
But as I began reading, my perspective shifted.
The report explained that organizations are using AI not to replace procurement executives, but to handle time-consuming, low-input tasks that keep them from focusing on strategy, higher-stakes agreements, and long-term relationships.
Beyond procurement, I learned how professionals are using AI tools to:
- Prepare for salary and compensation negotiations
- Anticipate objections and rehearse difficult conversations
- Generate multiple equivalent offers to create win-win outcomes
- Analyze large volumes of information during dispute resolution
In short, AI wasn’t taking over the negotiation—it was creating the conditions for better ones.
Real-World Applications for AI Negotiation Tools
After reading AI and Negotiation, Laura began exploring how AI could help her approach supplier negotiations with greater strategy and efficiency.
She also shared insights with her colleagues on how AI tools can be applied to:
- Prepare for high-volume negotiations — AI can enable procurement officers to review contracts in half the time by pinpointing common sticking points and identifying areas where value may be left on the table.
- Fine-tune salary and compensation arguments — AI tools can serve as useful advisors in salary negotiations, offering suggestions on how to frame performance value, anticipate objections, and refine talking points.
- Mediate internal disputes — When tensions arise between teams, AI can help uncover underlying interests, generate neutral questions, and explore potential tradeoffs.
- Develop multiple equivalent simultaneous offers — Professionals can leverage AI to generate alternative offers that create value for both external and internal parties and avoid zero-sum thinking.
Understanding the Risks—and Limits—of AI
While AI has a powerful role to play in enhancing and streamlining negotiations, the AI and Negotiation report does not shy away from the challenges of this new technology.
After reading the report, Laura has come away with a better understanding of the critical risks posed by AI, including:
- Bias embedded in AI systems
- Overreliance on incomplete or inaccurate data
- Ethical concerns when AI is given too much authority
- The loss of creativity, warmth, and trust in negotiations
Laura’s story is one we’ve heard time and again at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.
By understanding where AI adds value—and why humans should maintain control over judgment, ethics, and relationship-building—Laura is now better equipped to lead strategic negotiations at scale.
Prepare for the Future of Negotiation
If you want to learn how to use AI to:
- Prepare more effectively for negotiations
- Improve negotiation outcomes without sacrificing ethics or relationships
- Bridge political and ideological divides during meditation
- Navigate high-volume, high-stakes, or complex disputes
- Enhance your negotiation instruction or training
Then don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the experts at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School about the latest advancements in AI-driven negotiation.
This free AI and Negotiation report offers knowledge, strategies, and perspectives on how AI can help you move beyond mundane tasks and focus on what matters: negotiation strategy.
Sincerely,
Tara Pope
Director of Marketing
Program on Negotiation
Harvard Law School
P.S. Artificial intelligence is dramatically transforming negotiations in business, law, and public life. Learn how to use it wisely—and stay ahead of the curve. Download your free copy of the AI and Negotiation report now.