The Pitfalls of Premature Automation: Why AI Comes Second in Our Proposal Training 

You wouldn’t take a skid pan driving course in a high-performance car before you’ve passed your driving test. So why would you use AI to write bids before you know what a good one even looks like?

Why we don’t teach AI in proposal writing – yet

With all the promotion about how generative AI is going to transform the bid world, it’s fair to wonder why our flagship training course – Mastering the Art of Proposal Writing – doesn’t include a module on AI. After all, we’ve written extensively about AI in bids: how it might shape the future of bid writers and what it means for team culture, and how to adopt it responsibly.

So why isn’t it part of the course? Because you need to learn how to drive before you engage the turbocharger.

The pitfalls of premature automation

When it comes to using AI for proposal writing, the danger isn’t the technology itself – it’s using it before you understand what makes a proposal good. AI is only as good as the instructions you give it. And if you don’t know what good looks like, your prompts may well miss the mark.

Relying on AI before you understand proposals is like:

• Putting a trainee pilot into a plane with autopilot on and then asking them to land the plane
• Asking a medical student to perform surgery with a robotic tool without teaching anatomy
• Taking your driving test in a Formula One car

Sure, you might get somewhere. Whilst it won’t be potentially life-threatening like the above examples, it won’t be safe, efficient, or pretty. Or, more importantly, result in winning bids.

What we teach instead

Our proposal writing course walks through the full writing lifecycle. We explore everything from compliance matrices and planning worksheets to layout storyboards, interviewing, and evidence sourcing.

We also cover the realities of proposal life: how to handle feedback, deal with deadlines, and manage stress when the pressure mounts. These aren’t things AI can fix.

First principles first: Core writing skills before AI tools

Our course is designed to build the essential skills that make proposals persuasive, compliant, and readable. Things like:

• Understanding the proposal process
• Analysing questions and requirements
• Understanding win themes and differentiators
• Planning the response
• Interviewing SMEs to capture the solution
• Knowing what good evidence and proof points are (and why they matter)
• Structuring content for clarity and compliance
• Using visuals with impact
• Drafting effectively and under pressure
• Knowing what good (and bad) looks like
• Challenging contradictions, inconsistencies, and facts

These are the building blocks. Without them, you’re in danger of over-relying on AI without understanding or challenging what it has generated. And that never ends well.

We also believe it helps to have worked on a few bids without AI first, so you can fully appreciate the process before introducing automation.

When AI does belong in proposal writing?

We’re not luddites and we strongly believe that the use of AI can have huge benefits. Once you understand how to write a good proposal, AI can absolutely support you. It can:

• Analyse the requirements, reducing the research time for the writer
• Using the source material in the library, find proof points
• Create first drafts (with the right prompting), incorporating the requirements, solution and win themes
• Apply consistency across sections
• Reconfigure to keep within page count (saving hours for the writer)
• Speed up low-value but lengthy admin tasks

But that comes after you know what you’re doing – not before.
In future, we may offer an advanced module focused on integrating AI tools into your bid process. But it won’t replace the fundamentals, because even as the tools evolve, the basics still matter.

The bottom line: AI in proposal training comes after learning the writing skills

Good proposals still come down to people, process, and discipline. And that’s what we teach. AI might be the satnav – but you still need to know how to drive.

If you’re looking to upskill your team or want to sharpen your own bid writing skills, Mastering the Art of Proposal Writing is the place to start. And once you’re fluent in the fundamentals? Then generative AI can come out to play.

Article published: August 2025