Is Your Contractor Using AI? How to Tell
April 2, 2026
When you hired your accountant, you checked whether they use Xero. Nobody hires a bookkeeper who still works through paper ledgers in 2026. Start asking your copywriters, web developers, and social media managers the same question about AI.
Quick links
- Why this matters for tourism businesses
- The question nobody asks their contractors
- What to ask your contractor
- Red flags to watch for
- What good looks like
- Your next step
Why this matters for tourism businesses
The cost of professional services has barely moved in three years. AI tools have changed completely. A copywriter who spent eight hours on a content strategy in 2022 produces a comparable first draft in 90 minutes today.
If your contractor is not using AI, you are paying for slow work. If they are using AI and not telling you, you are paying human rates for automated output. Neither is a good deal.
The contractors worth keeping are the ones who use AI well and are transparent about it. That is what to look for.
The question nobody asks their contractors
When you hire a new accountant, you check whether they use Xero or MYOB. The software is not the point. The point is whether they work efficiently with the tools available to them.
Asking your contractor “do you use AI tools in your work?” is a professional question now. Most will answer honestly. The ones who get defensive are telling you something about how they approach their craft.
This is not about catching anyone out. It is about knowing what you are paying for.
What to ask your contractor
Four questions that get useful answers.
“Which AI tools do you use regularly?” A contractor using AI will have specific answers. ChatGPT for drafting. Claude for research. Canva AI for visuals. Vague answers are worth noting.
“How do you make sure the output reflects my brand, not generic AI output?” A skilled contractor describes their briefing process. A less skilled one says the AI takes care of it.
“Show me a recent piece of work where you used AI.” Not to catch them out. To understand their process. Contractors who use AI well are comfortable showing you. The output and the explanation together tell you more than any assurance.
“What would change about my deliverables if you had a more detailed brief from me?” Anyone who says it wouldn’t change much is worth reconsidering.
Red flags to watch for
Generic, interchangeable output. Content that reads the same as your competitors. Nothing specific to your product, your region, or your customers. This is what happens when AI is used without a proper brief. Read more about how to create a proper brief for AI here.
Deliverables that arrive much faster than expected, with no explanation. Speed itself is not a problem. Unacknowledged speed is worth asking about.
Revision cycles that feel like error correction. If you are spending more time fixing the output than the contractor spent producing it, the briefing process broke down somewhere.
Evasion when you ask about process. A contractor confident in their skills can explain how they work.
What good looks like
A contractor using AI well asks more questions upfront, not fewer. They know the quality of AI output depends on the quality of the brief. They want to understand your brand voice, your audience, and what a good result looks like before they start.
A skilled contractor should be able to explain where AI contributes and where their own expertise adds value. Something like: “The AI produces a first draft. I rewrite the opening and close. I apply everything I know about your audience to the middle.” That is a credible answer from someone who has thought it through.
Using AI is how skilled professionals work now. The ones worth keeping talk about it clearly and show you the results. For a look at which tools are worth using in tourism, see our popular AI tools guide for tourism organisations.
Your next step
The next time you brief a contractor, ask the questions above. No need to frame it as a test. It is part of knowing how they work.
If they use AI well, give them better briefs and ask for more. If they are defensive or evasive, treat that as useful information about how they approach their work generally.
A broader look at building a tourism marketing plan using AI is a good next read.
Want to build a stronger digital strategy for your tourism business?
Understanding how AI fits into your business is part of a bigger digital picture. Tourism Tribe offers three ways to help:
- GEO Assessment: find out how visible your business is to AI tools right now
- Digital Direction Plan: a personalised roadmap for your digital and AI strategy
- AI Enablement Plans: ongoing access to Tourism Tech Sessions, tools, and hands-on support
Frequently asked questions
Should I ask my contractor whether they use AI?
Yes. It is a professional question now, the same as asking which software they use. Contractors who use AI well will answer clearly and explain their process. Ones who get defensive are signalling something about how they work.
Is it acceptable for contractors to use AI on work I have paid for?
Yes, as long as the output meets the standard you are paying for. Using AI is how skilled professionals work now. The question is not whether they use it, but whether they use it well. Good contractors brief AI tools carefully, apply their own expertise to the output, and deliver work that reflects your brand.
What should a contractor’s AI briefing process look like?
A good contractor will ask about your brand voice, your audience, and what a good result looks like before they start. They will use that context when working with AI. They should be able to explain where AI helps them and where their own skill adds value. If they cannot describe their process, the output is likely to be generic.
What if my contractor says they don’t use AI at all?
Decide whether that matters for the work you need. Some tasks benefit from entirely human input. For most content, marketing, and design work, a contractor not using any AI tools is working more slowly than necessary. Factor that into whether you are getting value from the relationship.
How do I tell if content was written entirely by AI?
Look for content that is generic and interchangeable. Nothing specific to your product, region, or customers. Watch for overuse of certain phrases (comprehensive, seamlessly, robust), perfect but lifeless sentence structure, and a tone that does not match your brand. AI detection tools exist but are unreliable. The better test: does it sound like you, and does it say anything specific about your business?
Should I pay less if my contractor uses AI?
Not automatically. A contractor who uses AI well and produces excellent output quickly is providing more value than one who works slowly without it. You are paying for the quality of the result and the expertise applied to it, not the hours spent. If AI lets your contractor deliver better work faster, that is a good outcome. If quality has dropped, that is a separate conversation about standards.
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