AI in data room software
What AI features do inside a data room, which platforms list them today, and how to judge vendor claims before confidential documents go anywhere near a model.
AI arrived in data room software the same way it arrived in most business tools: first as a badge on the pricing page, then as features that change how work gets done. In a data room the useful features are practical rather than dramatic. They sort uploads, summarise long contracts, find a clause across thousands of pages and help experts answer the same buyer question for the fifth time.
Today 5 of the 18 platforms in our directory list AI features. AI is only one part of our AI and automation criterion: bulk upload, a public API and a built-in Q&A workflow also take repetitive work off the admin, so a platform without AI can still score reasonably on automation.
Platforms that list AI features
ElltyAI score 9.0
DatasiteAI score 9.0
AnsaradaAI score 9.0
BoxAI score 9.0
DroomsAI score 9.0
iDeals
Intralinks
Citrix ShareFile
Firmex
SecureDocs
CapLinked
SmartRoom
ShareVault
DealRoom
Venue by DFIN
Onehub
Digify
DocSend
What AI does in a data room
| Capability | What it does | What it saves | Ask the vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto-indexing and sorting | Reads uploaded files and suggests folders, tags or index numbers. | Hours of manual filing on large or messy uploads. | Can the admin review and override every suggestion? |
| Document summaries | Produces short summaries of contracts or reports. | First-pass review time for buyers and advisers. | Does the summary cite the page it came from? |
| Search and document chat | Answers questions in plain language across the room. | Time spent opening files to find one clause. | Is the answer limited to documents the user may see? |
| Q&A assistance | Suggests answers or matches questions to existing documents. | Expert time on repeated buyer questions. | Does a human approve every answer before release? |
| Translation | Translates documents or extracts for cross-border buyers. | External translation cost and delay. | Is the translation marked as machine-generated? |
| Redaction suggestions | Flags personal data or sensitive terms for redaction. | Review time before disclosure. | Who confirms the redaction, and is it logged? |
General capability types seen across the market; which ones a given vendor offers changes often. Confirm the current list with each provider.
AI and automation scores
Native AI earns 7 points, 2.5 without; bulk upload, a public API and a Q&A module add 1 each. Full formula on the methodology page.
| Platform | AI listed | Bulk upload | API | Q&A | AI score | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellty | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | 9.0 | 8.7 |
| Datasite | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | 9.0 | 8.5 |
| Ansarada | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | 9.0 | 8.2 |
| Box | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | 9.0 | 8.1 |
| Drooms | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | 9.0 | 7.9 |
| iDeals | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 5.5 | 8.3 |
| SecureDocs | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 5.5 | 7.5 |
| CapLinked | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 5.5 | 7.4 |
| Intralinks | – | ✓ | – | ✓ | 4.5 | 7.7 |
| Citrix ShareFile | – | ✓ | ✓ | – | 4.5 | 7.6 |
| Firmex | – | ✓ | – | ✓ | 4.5 | 7.5 |
| SmartRoom | – | ✓ | – | ✓ | 4.5 | 7.2 |
| ShareVault | – | ✓ | – | ✓ | 4.5 | 7.1 |
| DealRoom | – | ✓ | – | ✓ | 4.5 | 7.1 |
| Venue by DFIN | – | ✓ | – | ✓ | 4.5 | 6.7 |
| Onehub | – | ✓ | ✓ | – | 4.5 | 6.6 |
| Digify | – | ✓ | – | – | 3.5 | 6.0 |
| DocSend | – | – | – | – | 2.5 | 5.5 |
Automation around AI: platforms with and without AI features
| Platforms | Bulk upload | Q&A module | Public API | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI features listed | 5 | 100% | 80% | 20% |
| No AI features listed | 13 | 92% | 69% | 38% |
| Virtual data rooms | 12 | 100% | 100% | 25% |
| File-sharing platforms | 3 | 100% | 0% | 100% |
| Document tracking tools | 2 | 50% | 0% | 0% |
| Capital markets rooms | 1 | 100% | 100% | 0% |
Questions to ask before switching AI on
- Where are documents processed? Inside the vendor's own environment, or sent to a third-party model provider? In which region?
- Is customer data used for training? Get the answer in the contract, not only in a blog post.
- Can AI be switched off per room or per user? Some sellers will want AI on for their team and off for bidders, or the reverse.
- Are AI actions logged? A summary generated for a bidder is a disclosure event; it belongs in the audit trail.
- Do answers respect permissions? A search assistant must never surface text from a folder the user cannot open.
Where AI saves the most admin time
Sorting and numbering large uploads
Finding clauses across the whole room
Suggested answers from existing documents
Frequently asked questions
Which data room software has AI features?
5 of 18 platforms list AI features in our facts file: Ellty, Datasite, Ansarada, Box, Drooms.
Is it safe to use AI on confidential deal documents?
It can be, with the right controls. Ask where documents are processed, whether any model is trained on customer data, whether AI can be switched off per room and whether AI actions appear in the audit trail.
Does AI replace the deal team in due diligence?
No. AI speeds up sorting, searching and first drafts. Judgement on what a document means for price, risk and the contract remains with people.
Is AI included in the price?
It varies by vendor. Some include AI in every plan, others sell it as an add-on. Ask for the price of the plan with the AI features you would actually use.