Two years ago, Pippa and Darrell brought their ongoing argument about technology in bidding into Bidding Quarterly’s first debate article in The Nerd, the Luddite, and the Common Ground. Because while we agreed on many of the fundamental principles of bidding, we profoundly disagreed about the role of technology.

Now, we’re revisiting that debate because the world of bids and proposals has changed, Pippa has been on a journey, and Darrell has taken a more human-centred approach to tech. What hasn’t changed is we’re still actively debating, learning from each other, and trying to find areas of consensus.

• What’s changed in bidding since your last article?

DW: I think the biggest change is we last talked about technology and AI separately. Now, AI is so embedded into almost everything, we’re discussing them together.

PB: At the APMP conference this year, we both noticed a shift in messaging. People aren’t selling it as the be all and end all now. Whereas two years ago they were saying it could do our jobs, now they are talking about it as a tool that needs us humans to be effective.

DW: Agreed. There’s been a change from hype to realism about AI. We’re less impressed/horrified by a machine that writes and more focused on how it can help solve our challenges. We’re seeing more emphasis on the human role, the value of the interaction, and the importance of good change management.

• How has your view shifted?

PB: I’m more curious and I have taken steps to understand it better. I find it fascinating looking at everything it COULD help us do, although I still don’t trust it completely due to the bias and hallucination. My view that humans can write better and that it reduces the use of the creative brain still stands.

DW: I’m still as excited about tech but I’m perhaps a bit more sceptical about how we use it. Like most people, I started off thinking of it as a co-writer. Now, I think AI writing is its least useful feature for writers. It’s much more valuable as an always-on reviewer, a decision support assistant, and a way to generate 50 ideas from which we pick ‘n’ mix the best. I agree we risk stifling creativity if used the wrong way, but I believe it can make us more creative if we use AI to help us think, not just do.

PB: It can assist us if we use our brains first, I agree. But so many people are not using it to enhance natural creativity. Rather than thinking their way out of a problem and using AI as a tool to build on that, they are going to AI immediately for a solution. I think that’s dangerous.

• What are you doing differently?

PB: I use more automation and AI to run the business, for example, our custom CRM tool in Airtable, and Fathom notetaker for client meetings. I recently took a two-day course (AI for Business Leaders) and it has opened my eyes up even more. Although we already use AI, we do not regulate it, and that must be one of my starting points – writing responsible AI use guidelines.

DW: Proud of you, Pippa! I’m moving more towards using the right tool for the right job. There are over 260 bid software tools designed to support the bid lifecycle (see the Bid Solutions Bid Software comparison platform) and I’m most excited about those focused on better bidding or doing something new. We need to clearly define our underlying needs and carefully select technology to achieve our goals.

• What does the future look like?

PB: It’s almost too scary to contemplate – the loss of water through massive data centres and rise of neurotechnology makes me want to buy an island and go off grid! Thankfully (in my opinion) we are a long way from AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). However, I am coming to terms with AI being a useful tool, and ideas of how to use AI to enhance my business, the customer experience, and even making our writing more efficient, without losing those vital personal skills. Of course, whatever we choose must be regulated and our people trained effectively to ensure responsible and appropriate use.

DW: I believe AI will make good proposals more accessible to everyone but then how do we stand out? Bid professionals will become even more important to winning business. Our skills in human understanding, strategic decision making, and building trust will be the difference between good AI and winning human-AI. We’ll also become more influential in prospect meetings and pitches as Procurement lean into in-person bid formats.

• Will you continue the debate?

PB: Naturally. If there is one thing we both agree on, AI isn’t a standalone solution, it needs humans to be effective. Think of it as a sandwich, with the bread being humans and the thin slice of cheese in the middle, the AI tool. Keep curious and experiment with AI but remember that to win bids, the human elements of empathy and customer focus remain critical.

DW: I certainly want to continue debating, challenging our opinions, and inspiring ourselves to keep exploring. I hope that returning to these discussions, sharing our diverse views, and publicly airing our story through BQ magazine helps bid professionals control the AI narrative and keep proposals human-centred.