AI masterclasses and seminars are in no shortage, with a focus on how artificial intelligence can be used in tenders. We have attended some of these AI seminars before. The tools are impressive. The speed is real. The capability has moved quickly. But here is the question no one is asking loudly enough.
Does faster mean better?
AI can now review an RFP in minutes. It can benchmark costs. It can draft responses. It can interrogate large document sets. It can even reproduce client commentary. All of that is useful. Across the bid profession, AI is increasingly being used to support tender development. What it should never replace is human judgement.
The uncomfortable truth is that AI is extraordinarily good at producing plausible text. It is not good at understanding commercial risk, evaluator bias, political context, or the subtle signals buried in a procurement process.
It does not know:
- the unstated intent behind a weighted attribute
- the history between a contractor and a council
- whether a promise made in a bid is actually deliverable under live contract conditions
- how scoring panels really read responses at 4.30 pm on day three of evaluation.
It predicts the next likely word, but it does not carry accountability, and that distinction matters.
Where AI adds real value
Used properly, AI can strengthen the bid process through:
- Instant RFP summarisation
- Gap identification
- Structured research
- Early-stage drafting support
- Document interrogation at scale.
It improves process efficiency and reduces administrative drag. That is why we have invested in our own internal AI toolbox. Not to replace expertise, but to support it and them.
Where AI quietly creates risk
The danger is not obvious plagiarism or robotic writing. The real risk is confidence without comprehension. AI-generated responses often sound authoritative but misinterpret the question, fabricate case study detail, and introduce non-compliant commitments, overstate capability, dilute or overstate strategic positioning and default to generic language that scores ‘adequate’ instead of ‘excellent’. In a competitive market, such as the New Zealand Construction sector, ‘adequate’ loses. And the most experienced bid professionals can instantly spot AI-written content. So can many evaluators.
The performance gap
In tendering, the strongest results tend to come from experienced strategists who understand where AI can support the bid process, rather than relying on AI to produce responses in isolation.
A practical example is often evident in methodology sections. When AI is used to draft a methodology directly from a specification, the result often mirrors the tender document itself. The response repeats the requirements, but adds little insight. From an evaluator’s perspective, this does not demonstrate that the bidder has genuinely considered project nuances such as ground conditions, stakeholder impacts, or alternative delivery approaches.
Used more thoughtfully, AI can support the development of the response rather than replace the thinking behind it. For example, it can be used to test how a methodology might be interpreted from an evaluator’s perspective, suggest clearer structures for presenting the approach, or help translate highly technical engineering language into a narrative that is easier for a broader evaluation panel to digest.
The real advantage
The future of bidding is not AI versus humans. It is expert humans, using AI intelligently, within a disciplined framework. That is the difference between generating content and engineering a win. We have embraced AI. We have built structured tools around it. We train our consultants to use it critically and safely. But we remain clear about one thing: winning tenders is still a human discipline.
If you are attending an AI seminar, enjoy it, learn from it. The technology is impressive. Just remember, the tools are accelerating, but judgment is still decisive.
For support with your next tender or in-house team capability training, contact General Manager Nick Cowan at nick.cowan@plana.co.nz or visit www.plana.co.nz to enquire.
