Where the Market Is Heading – Tech & Sourcing @ Morgan Lewis

Where the Market Is Heading – Tech & Sourcing @ Morgan Lewis

Where the Market Is Heading – Tech & Sourcing @ Morgan Lewis

https://www.morganlewis.com/blogs/sourcingatmorganlewis/2026/04/negotiating-ai-provisions-in-commercial-and-technology-contracts-where-the-market-is-heading

Publish Date: 2026-04-02 11:28:00

Source Domain: www.morganlewis.com

  • Shift in AI Contract Practices: Two years ago, AI inclusion in agreements was minimal, but now its integration has made generic disclaimers inadequate.

  • SaaS Framework Adaptation: Traditional SaaS frameworks for AI are facing shifts due to the emergence of agentic AI, requiring more rigorous terms in service descriptions and performance warranties.

  • Key Negotiating Points in AI Contracts:

    • Scope and Service Definitions: Detailed descriptions of AI workflows and decisions to prevent misunderstandings.
    • Performance Standards and Warranties: Commitments on performance benchmarks and accuracy are becoming necessary where AI impacts core business processes.
    • Intellectual Property Ownership and Output Rights: Attention to output ownership, customer data rights, and vendor data usage for model improvement is crucial.
    • Regulatory Compliance Allocation: Clear assignment of regulatory compliance responsibilities and consequences of penalties is essential.
  • Transition and Termination Planning: Provisions for data handling, model extraction, and transition assistance during contract wind-downs are vital and often under-addressed.

  • Specific AI Risk Integration: Instead of generic disclaimers, embedding AI risk into contract specifics for data governance, liability, and service levels enhances contract effectiveness.