What is the risk with the tool?
Each vendor has its own rules, and they change. Google's help page for its assistant app is a clear example.
- It says Google uses your activity to provide, develop and improve its services.
- It says people review a subset of chats.
- It asks users not to enter confidential information they would not want a reviewer to see.
- It explains a setting that stops future chats being reviewed for this purpose.
Business plans often have different terms from free plans. Do not assume this. Read the terms for your own plan.
What is the risk with the tender?
The tender and any confidentiality agreement bind you, whatever the tool's settings say. A buyer may also ask how you wrote your bid.
UK guidance for central government buyers is a useful example (PPN 017, paragraph 9). It does not ban these tools. It suggests that buyers may ask suppliers to disclose their use. It also suggests controls to stop confidential buyer information being used to train them.
What is riskiest to upload?
Sort your material before you paste any of it. This table is our own guide, not a legal rule.
| Material | Risk | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A public tender notice | Low | Usually fine, because it is already public |
| A pack sold or issued under conditions | Medium to high | Read the conditions first |
| Your prices and rates | High | Do not paste them into a public tool |
| Staff CVs and ID documents | High | This is personal data, so check your local law |
| Bank letters and guarantees | High | Do not paste them into a public tool |
What should you ask any tool?
Ask these questions of a chat assistant, of tender software and of Bidligence.
- Is my content used to train its models, and can I turn that off?
- How long does it keep my files?
- Which people can open my content, and is that logged?
- Can I delete my data and take a copy out?
- Which outside providers process my data?
How does Bidligence handle this?
The Bidligence Terms say providers process your content under terms that prohibit its use for model training. Its Privacy Policy names those providers and says staff do not open your bid content, apart from logged exceptions. No online service is free of risk, so read the full answer and check your own terms first.
Questions
- Can I use a chat assistant for tender work at all?
- Yes, for material you are free to share. It can explain a term or tidy your own text. A person must still check the result.
- Must I tell the buyer that I used one?
- Do so if the tender asks. Read every declaration before you sign. A false statement is yours, whichever tool wrote it.
- Is a paid plan safer than a free one?
- Often, but not always. Read the terms for that plan, especially on training, retention and who can read your chats.
- Can it write my whole bid?
- See can software write a tender response. It can draft, but it cannot take responsibility for what you submit.
Sources
Rules and portals change. Check the tender’s own documents and the official source before you rely on any of this.