The New Operating System: AI, Agreements, and the Competitive Edge

AI is not the future of contracting—it’s the present. Organizations that embrace experimentation, invest in the right skills, and focus on solving concrete workflow problems can unlock significant operational and strategic value.

That’s one of the insights revealed as part of a recent panel discussion, “The New Operating System: AI, Agreements, and the Competitive Edge.” Julia Spano, senior director of field marketing at Docusign, led panelists through a riveting conversation focused on the role of AI in contract management and legal operations. 

Panelists included: 

• Laura Belmont: general counsel at Civis Analytics 

• Mark Ross: principal at Deloitte, and growth and markets leader of the firm’s legal business services practice

• Tashmin Ali: lead counsel at Docusign, looking after the global procurement team and the commercial acceleration function 

These exceptional leaders covered lots of ground throughout the conversation, with their deep expertise across AI, legal, and agreement transformation. Let’s take a look at some of the key takeaways. 

The agreement management gap is huge—and AI is moving fast to close it

Earlier research from Deloitte and Docusign quantified a nearly $2 trillion loss in annual global economic value from lost productivity and revenue opportunities caused by ineffective  agreement management, with most of it leaking in the post-signature phase. Survey data shared during the webinar makes it clear that business leaders see AI as the solution.

Across 1,400 leaders surveyed worldwide in February 2025:

• 60% expect contracting to be AI-assisted within three years

• 48% say AI-supported contract creation is essential right now, not in the future

In addition, investment in legal tech has surged, surpassing $5 billion year to date, up from $3 billion in 2024. The message is unmistakable: The market is moving, and AI is no longer optional for companies that want to successfully compete in the marketplace.

The pain points are clear and universal

No matter the company size or industry, legal teams are battling the same challenges:

• Hard-to-find agreements: Even global organizations struggle with scattered repositories and manual document searches across drives, desktops, and third-party tools

• Murky obligation management: Teams often can’t easily locate previously negotiated terms, like SLAs, renewal windows, pricing tiers, and termination rights

• Fragmented workflows: Stakeholders use disparate platforms, review different versions, and rely on manual approvals, slowing deals and increasing risk

• Unclear post-signature reality: Executed contracts often diverge from templates; teams may not know what was actually agreed to or which group of customers has a clause that needs to be amended

These friction points can add up to significant cost, risk, and delay—exactly where AI and automation can help.

AI’s real value comes from better workflows, not flashy tools

A key theme from panelists: Don’t start with the tool, start with the problem.

Laura Belmont emphasized that her top concern with AI contract tools isn’t confidentiality; it’s quality. AI must meaningfully elevate the workflow, not simply add noise.

Tashman Ali offered practical examples of where AI supercharges Docusign’s solutions and already provides value:

• AI-powered contract repository: Search time for items like data processing agreements (DPAs) fell from seven minutes to 47 seconds

• Smarter collaboration: Simple automated approvals accelerate deal cycles

• Automated obligation tracking: Dashboards and notifications help teams make informed decisions about renewals, renegotiations, and terminations

Looking for a low-effort entry point? Use AI features inside platforms your teams already rely on.

AI adoption requires training and a mindset shift

AI won’t replace lawyers, but it will reshape their work. The panelists emphasized the importance of embracing experimentation and shedding the fear of obsolescence.

AI frees legal teams to focus on strategy, insights, and relationships, not repetitive drafting and data extraction. Legal departments should welcome new roles: solution architects, engineers, functional consultants, and change managers, not just traditional legal talent. And for traditional roles, legal departments must embrace new descriptions. Skills and structures are evolving too. For example, Docusign has created a new commercial legal vertical dedicated to enhancing legal team adoption of AI tools and technology to streamline daily workflows and deal cycles.

The message: Forward-looking legal teams are proactively upskilling and restructuring for an AI-first future.

The future of contracting is autonomous, integrated, and strategic

Each panelist provided predictions on where contract management is headed in the next few years. It was fascinating to hear their various perspectives. A few highlights:  

• Agentic contracting: AI doesn’t just answer prompts—it can take action, such as autonomously sending renewal notices or initiating contract-required steps

• Captured institutional knowledge: Tools can preserve negotiation context and strategic reasoning when team members move on

• Seamless system integration: Contract platforms can integrate directly into finance, sales, and procurement systems, enabling real-time business intelligence

• A rise in leadership roles: We may soon see the emergence of a chief contracting officer, highlighting the strategic importance of agreements

• Evolution of legal ops: Teams will expand into more systems-focused, change-driven roles, further elevating the function

Want to explore more detailed insights from the panel? Watch the full webinar.