Artificial intelligence and bid writing

As AI models become rapidly popular in today’s society, companies are relying on it for a variety of business tasks, including bid writing. However, there are dangers of using AI across the board, but especially in bid writing when issues of confidentiality and data protection crop up. This article will weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of using AI for bid writing.

Background of AI in bid writing

Artificial Intelligence has been around since the 1950s, but the past decade has seen countless developments and a huge increase in the capabilities of technology. Whereas before AI models would have been fairly limited, they now have the ability to produce human-like responses to even the simplest of prompts. It is easy enough to use; you simply ask a question and get a response. Here’s an example of AI’s response to a typical question in a tender submission:

Can AI be used in bid writing?

As demonstrated above, it is possible to answer tender questions by asking AI to produce your answers, but the bigger question is whether you should. There are certainly advantages when using AI for bid writing, and they can potentially boost the quality of your submission if used correctly. For example, it can help you to quickly research and summarise a company, such as its values and aims.

However, writing a bid response is one thing; winning it is a whole other thing completely. Whilst AI might be able to write you a standard stock response, it won’t have the specificity or knowledge required to give you the best chance of winning the bid. As seen above in the example, the response is very generic and if other competitors have also utilised AI to answer the questions, your responses are going to look almost identical. When evaluating your bid response, they will be looking for many things, such as your knowledge, competence and understanding of the contract you are bidding for. They are only things your company will know and be able to demonstrate effectively, which is why it’s far more beneficial to partner with an actual bid writer who is able to work collaboratively with you to produce the perfect bid response.

What are the potential risks of using AI in bid writing?

There are many risks associated with the use of AI in bid writing, all of which can potentially compromise the success of your tender submission. For example:

• Communication: Whilst AI has been developed to replicate a human mind, there will always be the risk of poor interpretation and communication difficulties. Whilst an actual bid writer would verbally communicate any issues or misunderstandings, AI will just improvise and use the information available to it to produce the response, which could lead to the creation of an incorrect response.
• Generic response: As mentioned above, if AI models are asked the same question, it will probably give the same response. To an evaluator, it will be very evident that you have used AI to write your bid response, which could be interpreted as a lack of effort on your part.
• Data protection issues: AI models warn against inputting sensitive information into their search engine, to avoid any confidentiality violations. Any data you share with AI models could be misused or exploited, therefore it’s important to stay vigilant, especially when it comes to your safety.
• Easily identifiable: Many people, companies and organisations such as universities are becoming adept at identifying when a text has been written by AI. Certain features – such as adjective choices and punctuation – have become telltale signs of writing by AI.
• Data protection compliance: If you input personal data, especially about the company you are hoping to secure a contract with, you must comply with data protection laws. If you are non-compliant with these laws, there is the risk of being fined or even legal repercussions.

What is the future of AI in bid writing?

It’s clear that AI is becoming increasingly relied upon in today’s world, and this dependence, when it comes to bid writing, will have a negative impact on the quality and standard of bid responses produced. There might be certain benefits – such as help with researching, categorising information, and checking for any spelling errors – but overall, the use of AI to write your bids is not recommended.

When using a professional bid writer, you receive not only a piece of writing but a service. Bid writers are important, and there are many benefits to using a bid writing service, such as:

• Start-to-finish assistance: There is more to a bid submission than just answering questions. For example, a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire [PQQ] must be filled out, which requires attention to detail and is something that AI won’t have the ability to complete for you.
• Communication: Throughout the process you will have full access to your bid writing team, which means any questions, queries or further information can be communicated effectively and efficiently. If any problems arise, you have an on-hand team to support you and guide you throughout, which is a luxury that you won’t get with AI. The bid team will take full responsibility for the management of the bid submission, and will outline clearly what is needed from you, ensuring that communication is clear. Working with a Bid Writer is a collaboration; you provide the information and they transform it into a winning tender response.
• Tailored responses: Bid writers will work hard to get to know your company, and will ask you everything they need to know to write your responses to an exceptional standard. Professionals know what scores high and what evaluators are looking for, which is something that AI can’t offer. This means that they’re able to extract the necessary information from you to answer the question to the highest standard.
• Expert knowledge: As bid writers, writing a successful tender is their area of expertise. They know how to promote your company through the tender, and submissions are always written to an exceptional standard.
• Client satisfaction: If necessary, a professional Bid Writer will write multiple drafts to ensure that the client is happy with the work. Any amendments that the client requires will be implemented, and make sure they have tailored timeframes to ensure sufficient time for any changes before the submission deadline.

Overall, the use of AI is not recommended when writing your bid. Whilst AI can assist with research and drafting, it lacks the nuanced understanding and personal touch that come from collaboration with a skilled bid writer. To learn more about the tender process, contact our team today.