Hybrid intelligence in buyer-supplier negotiations: a conceptual framework from literature and market review on AI capabilities

Buyer–supplier negotiations are a critical source of procurement value as they shape both negotiated outcomes and the quality of supplier relationships, an activity that has traditionally relied on human skill and intuition. The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) presents an opportunity to reconfigure this domain; however, most research continues to focus on algorithms and autonomous agents, with limited attention to how AI can augment, rather than replace, human judgment. Drawing on a systematic review of the literature, complemented by a screening of providers offering AI-based negotiation solutions, we develop a conceptual model of hybrid intelligence in buyer–supplier negotiations. The model identifies the specific AI capabilities relevant to the pre-negotiation, negotiation, and post-negotiation phases, and illustrates how human and machine capabilities can be combined at different levels of interaction. The paper makes two main contributions to the supply chain management literature. It develops a framework for hybrid buyer–supplier negotiations and proposes a research agenda structured around seven promising avenues for future work. For practitioners, the model offers implementation guidance for procurement managers, benchmarks for early adopters, and direction for solution providers seeking to align their offerings with emerging best practices.