Balancing Efficiency and Ethics: The Benefits and Risks of Using AI for Proposal Writing

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful assistant for everyday life. You can prompt it to plan a perfect vacation, deliver a heartwarming wedding speech, or even create a chart-topping hit like Drake and the Weeknd.

But is there an opportunity to effectively use generative AI at work? Tools like ChatGPT can revolutionize how you respond to RFPs and speed up your steps in proposal writing—but can you trust everything it tells you?

To shed light on these important questions, we heard from two proposal pros on opposite sides of the AI scale. ⚖️

Read on to learn their perspectives about the benefits and risks of using AI for proposal writing, including:

1. Conquer writer’s block with 6 proposal prompts
2. Watch out for proposal plagiarism and inaccuracies
3. Gain a winning edge by adding a human touch
4. Safeguard confidential information from data leaks

Benefit #1: Conquer Writer’s Block With 6 Proposal-Focused Prompts

According to Loopio’s RFP Trends Report, proposal teams take an average of 32 hours to craft a single RFP response. With competitive pressure mounting (thanks to a down economy), RFP teams may feel the push to submit a higher volume of bids.

“In theory, if you submit more RFPs, you technically have a higher chance of winning,” says Tana. “As proposal managers, we’ll continue to see this pressure approach, so we must do our due diligence in looking at what tools are out there to expedite this.”

That’s where generative AI like ChatGPT can shine. After all, artificial intelligence will never experience writer’s block—the nemesis of most proposal professionals. 

When faced with the anxiety of a blank page, ChatGPT comes to the rescue, serving a trove of ideas to jump-start your proposal. It can even take the first pass at questions, defeating the “cold start” that often leaves subject matter experts (SMEs) frozen in their tracks.

That said, proposal managers should refrain from using AI-generated content word-for-word. As you’ll see below, that’s a recipe for ineffective proposals and potential copyright issues. Instead, consider it a rough first draft—a canvas to tweak, expand, and tailor to your company’s voice.

“You have to convert it into your own brand and your company’s voice,” says Tana. “That’s the critical way to take ChatGPT from where it is and actually apply it to your proposals.”

Risk #1: Maintain Proposal Integrity With Plagiarism and Fact Checks

AI is smart, but it’s prone to misinformation and even human biases developers can unintentionally build in. “Anything I do in ChatGPT, I almost assume that it’s not accurate and then vet it,” says Tana. “Do additional research and make it truly represent your organization.”

Repeat after me: fact check, fact check, fact check.

There are also potential risks associated with intellectual property. It’s possible for Open-AI tools like ChatGPT to generate content that’s eerily similar to something that already exists online. If you use that content word-for-word, you could face copyright infringement.

The opposite side of that is ownership loss. Who owns the intellectual property when you upload information to ChatGPT? Since the AI tool generates content independently, the answer to this question is still muddy as it can be tricky to determine the original creator.

As always, err on the side of caution. Read the terms of use carefully and understand what you’re voluntarily handing over. ChatGPT will not stop someone from copying your content unless you take steps to protect it yourself. 🛡️

Benefit #2: Add a Human Touch to Proposals Amidst an AI-Driven Landscape

As AI becomes a more prominent tool in the RFP world, the playing field will change significantly. Just like you, your competitors are likely exploring the use of AI for proposal writing too—and here’s where you can seize an advantage.

In a sea of AI-generated content, you can gain a winning edge by adding a human touch. “Clients have already grown accustomed to reading the same responses,“ Rob says, “there could be a swing back where you can separate your proposal from the crowd with human-written cover letters, executive summaries, etc.”

To throw another curveball at proposal professionals…

Tana foresees a scenario where procurement teams leverage AI to gather information on potential vendors. For instance, they may task AI to list the top five engineering companies in Washington that have worked on billion-dollar projects.

This AI-driven insight will provide them with detailed knowledge about industry expertise, innovation, and risk mitigation, shaping their decision-making process. And competing against it will pose a challenge for proposal teams, especially as procurement relies on it more and more.

To succeed, you’ll have to find alternative ways to differentiate your company, and that’s where personalization becomes paramount.

For example, AI can whip up a section in a proposal, but it might not understand the purchasing personalities of the specific customer you’re speaking to. Knowing how to refine AI-generated proposals based on your knowledge of the customer will pay off in the long run.

Risk #2: Safeguard Confidential Information From Competitors in the Age of AI

The more AI booms, the more security risks become a concern for companies across the globe—such as the potential for hacking and data breaches.

Spoiler alert: there have already been instances of data leaks. For example, Samsung restricted the use of generative AI tools after employees uploaded confidential information into ChatGPT.

This is one of the main reasons Rob has hesitated to implement this tool. “I definitely see the potential for AI to help,” says Rob. “But in my current industry [healthcare], a lot of our stuff is proprietary. So, I wonder what my security team might think about us using it.”

That’s why it’s important to remember that ChatGPT is an open-source software—all information is publicly available. In other words, once you enter something into ChatGPT (like financial information), anyone using the tool can access it, use it to their advantage, and leak it.

So, if you’re granted approval to use AI for proposal writing, become the first line of defence. “I encourage everyone to err on the side of caution with what you’re putting out there,” says Tana, “Ask yourself: is it okay if this falls into your competitor’s hands?”

As an extra precaution, consider establishing policies and safeguards to mitigate risks and protect sensitive data before winding up in a Samsung-scenario. Chances are, many of your team members already use ChatGPT, given its free accessibility.

Moving Forward With Confidence: 5 Golden Rules for Using AI for Proposal Writing

AI can be a game-changer for your RFP response workflow—but tread carefully. Implement the proper review process to ensure accuracy, and most importantly, don’t lose sight of the human elements that make for a winning proposal. 💖

In other words, think of ChatGPT as a proposal writing intern. It can deliver, but the output will only be as good as the direction and oversight it receives.

Plus, knowing how to work with AI and give it useful prompts will be one of the most sought-after proposal writing skills. As AI becomes a more regular tool in our working lives, a skill gap will surface that divides the proposal management workforce.

By using ChatGPT for proposals now, you’ll know how to vet AI-created content, and can guide others on how to use it.

Just remember these golden rules:

1. Use it to get the juices flowing, not to write your entire finished proposal
2. Always fact-check because AI can generate inaccurate or biased information
3. Never enter something into a chatbot that you classify as confidential
4. Leverage the time you save to focus on creating even higher quality, personalized proposals
5. Set clear guidelines for your team so they know the limits of AI and how to avoid security risks