AI in Contracting Gains Momentum as Icertis Study Debunks Disillusionment — Icertis Inc.

Event summary

Icertis and CCMI's 2026 study shows organizational enthusiasm for AI in contracting rose from 36% to 56% year-over-year.
Accuracy in contract summarization has become the top AI use case, surpassing productivity gains.
76% of respondents prioritize contract value realization as the primary driver for AI implementations.
Only 25% access AI through their CLM solution, despite 47% using AI tools daily.

The big picture

The study underscores a strategic shift from AI experimentation to operational impact, particularly in high-stakes contracting where accuracy and contextual awareness are critical. As enterprises increasingly rely on AI for commercial decision-making, the integration of proprietary data with large language models will differentiate leaders from laggards. The findings suggest that organizations investing in coherent operating models stand to gain significant competitive advantages through AI-powered contract intelligence.

What we're watching

Adoption Dynamics: The pace at which organizations integrate AI directly into CLM platforms will determine market consolidation.
Value Realization: Whether AI-driven contract value realization can deliver measurable ROI beyond efficiency gains remains to be seen.
Workforce Transition: How the profession adapts as nearly half of respondents anticipate AI creating new contract management roles.