Generative AI

An AI system that can carry out a multi-step task on its own, such as researching a solicitation, drafting sections, and flagging gaps, based on a goal you give it, rather than waiting for step-by-step instructions. Unlike a copilot, an agent takes actions toward an outcome with less constant human direction, though people still set the goals and review the results.

The policies, roles, and review processes an organization puts in place to ensure AI tools are used safely, ethically, and in compliance with contract and data requirements. In a proposal shop, this might mean defining who can use AI to draft content, what data it can touch, and how outputs get checked before submission.

A defined way for two pieces of software to exchange data automatically, without a person copying and pasting between them. For example, an API is what lets a capture platform pull contract award data from a government database directly into your CRM instead of someone manually searching and re-entering it.

Computer systems designed to perform tasks that normally require human judgment, such as reading documents, recognizing patterns, or generating text. In GovCon, AI shows up as tools that summarize solicitations, draft proposal sections, or flag compliance gaps: work that previously required a person's direct attention line by line.

The amount of text an AI model can actually take in and consider at one time when generating a response. If an RFP, its attachments, and your past performance references exceed the context window, the AI may lose track of earlier sections and produce answers that miss requirements buried further back.