91% of PE Investors Cite Data Moats as Key AI Defense in Software

Lazard survey reveals 91% of secondary market investors view proprietary data and network effects as primary defenses against AI displacement, with most adopting a wait-and-see stance.

Woofun AI data shows that investors in the private equity secondary market are altering their evaluation criteria for software assets amid AI uncertainty. According to Lazard, 91% of respondents identified proprietary data advantages and network effects as the main barriers preventing AI from displacing software products. As of June this year, only 4% indicated their investment approach to the software sector remained unchanged, while many prefer to redirect capital elsewhere until AI's impact on valuations becomes clearer.