AI Capability Entering RFP Criteria — Panel Risk Rises for Non-Demonstrators
Thomson Reuters' 2026 GenAI report finds that 59% of corporate law departments want their outside firms to use generative AI, and 8% are now formally requiring AI use in tender and RFP documents. That 8% figure is the leading indicator: once a subset of sophisticated buyers codifies a requirement, it tends to normalize quickly across procurement cohorts. For mid-sized firms without a demonstrated,
BY FRONTIER DESK · JUNE 30, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
Thomson Reuters' 2026 GenAI report finds that 59% of corporate law departments want their outside firms to use generative AI, and 8% are now formally requiring AI use in tender and RFP documents. That 8% figure is the leading indicator: once a subset of sophisticated buyers codifies a requirement, it tends to normalize quickly across procurement cohorts. For mid-sized firms without a demonstrated, communicable AI capability, the panel risk is no longer hypothetical — it is appearing in writing. BD and marketing teams should move quickly to develop AI capability statements that are specific (tool, use case, measurable output) rather than aspirational, and to embed those statements in credentials, pitch templates, and panel responses before the procurement cycle advances further.