14 Technical Writers on the Future of AI
The continuous advancement in artificial intelligence and machine learning technology is paving the way for the next generation of automation. However, recent advancements in AI, such as ChatGPT, have a lot of professionals worried about their careers.
In the writing realm, such AIs deliver tons of content with only a few prompts and instructions. That said, the scrapped content comes from other sources and depends on existing information on the internet.
When it comes to technical writing, such AIs still have a long way to go because they require technical expertise, personal experience, and a clear understanding of a product, among other things.
However, the risk of automation in technical writing remains a worry for many professionals. This article collects the thoughts and opinions of 14 expert technical writers on how AI will affect technical writing moving forward.
Technical Writers on the Future of AI
Let’s dive right in.
1. Arthur C. Brooke, Author and Professor
Arthur C. Brooke is an author and a Professor.
The biggest question many technical writers have is whether AI will replace technical writers entirely. Many people think that while AI helps improve the process of technical writing, there is always a need for human technical writers.
In his book Strength to Strength, American author Arthur C. Brooks describes two kinds of intelligence. One, fluid intelligence refers to the ability to generate facts. Two, crystallized intelligence refers to the knowledge a person gains from a lifetime of learning and incorporating values, culture, and beliefs.
Technical writing requires both kinds of intelligence for success. However, in an AI’s case, it only demonstrates fluid intelligence and not crystallized intelligence.
Brooke comments that an AI may know how to generate the definitions of API fields, but more complex tasks baffle them, often producing generic answers.
He points out in his book, “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.”
2. Tirzah Alexander, Technical Writer and Editor at SAIC
Tirzah Alexander is a Technical Writer and Editor at SAIC.
As a writing tutor who excels in creative and business writing, she believes that while AI may assist technical writers in the future, it can’t replace human writers in general.
According to her, it’s still hard for AI to understand the complex nuances of various languages. She says, “For now, AI can’t detect complex nuances in language, intonation, or tone. AI is expanding, but it remains limited to what a person tells it to generate or do.”
Tirzah also believes that AI is bound to assist technical writers in the writing process by helping them overcome early writer’s block. Technical writers may ask AI to generate ideas and even early drafts to help speed up the process and improve writing quality.
She says, “I think that AI can help writers overcome an early writer’s block phase by telling AI to generate something based on the writer’s initial idea.”
Furthermore, she believes that one of the biggest challenges of technical writing in the near future is maintaining user engagement. As people’s attention spans shorten and other content formats become available, getting people to engage is becoming harder.
That said, Tirzah believes concise, easy-to-scan content is key, along with accompanying animations, visuals, and videos.
3. Jennifer Nelson, Senior Technical Writer
Jennifer Nelson is a Senior Technical Writer.
As an experienced technical writer and owner of her consulting firm, Jennifer believes that AI is on track to become a partner or a valuable tool for technical writers.
She says that “I envision AI becoming a valuable tool or partner for technical writers, generating reasonable, well-written content, detecting relevant information required for document development, in addition to auto-text formatting and basic grammar.”
In other words, AI can assist you with content design, giving you some breathing room to focus on tasks that require a human touch.
She also says that technical writing always requires a human element to create adequate documentation. Things like collaboration with subject matter experts, observing and verifying processes, and replicating a specific voice are all human-specific actions, for the time being.
That said, Jennifer believes that AI may speed up the writing process or lighten the load for technical writers by providing rough outlines or a first draft.
According to her, “Technical writers will need to be adaptable and remain open-minded.” AI may help writers come up with ideas they might not have considered.
4. Rachel Nix, Technical Writer at Rho
Rachel Nix is a Technical Writer at Rho.
As a software engineer-turned-technical writer, Rachel offers a unique perspective on AI’s role in technical writing.
She believes that in an ideal world, human technical writers and AI work hand in hand, complementing each other. She states that technical writing is the approach to technical processes with human-level intuition and empathy, something that AI is incapable of today.
The method of converting vague information into easy-to-understand writing involves understanding the human condition. It requires anticipating a user’s needs, thought processes, and communication level.
According to her, “Leveraging AI will come down to writers having the ability to really drill down into the core of whatever issue they are approaching.”
As of now, AI can communicate simple concepts in basic ways. In the future, it’s likely that AI will start to adapt and communicate complex topics, but there will always be a disconnect because of AI’s inability to grasp the human experience.
She puts it this way, “Until AI can really embody the human experience of all of this, I think it’s really constrained in its ability to replace technical writers.”
According to Rachel, technical writers need to realize what they need from AI and take advantage of it. You have to learn how to give current AI models the right commands so they can help you.
5. Cameron Fletcher, Technical Writer at Aptera Motors
Cameron Fletcher is a technical Writer at Aptera Motors.
He is an experienced technical writer who believes that scientific research, intellectual property, and inventive designs are the result of human ingenuity and curiosity. “As such, it is my opinion that there will always be a need for human writers if not editors in the least.”
His experience at a solar mobility startup, creating content stemming from never-before-seen novel ideas, is proof of it.
That said, he believes AI is an excellent tool for brainstorming ideas, catalyzing the drafting stage, and generating multiple outlines. It’s possible to use it to find reference documents and applicable specifications.
Cameron believes that rather than thinking of AI as something bound to change a technical writer’s role, think of it as another tool in the writer’s tech stack, an additional skill to hone.
He also thinks that relying on AI today is not a good idea and that AI-generated content needs consistent proofing and editing, along with a human element.
However, moving forward, Cameron also said, “Just as a new software can upend a once static industry, AI will, at a minimum, become a tool that I think content creators of all types should stay up to date with.”
He advises that technical writers need to take the initiative to learn how to leverage AI and understand the underlying technology behind it.
6. Steve Arrants, Technical Writer at Agilent Technologies
Steve Arrants is a Technical Writer at Agilent Technologies.
As a long-time technical writer, Steve believes that, as with technical debt when a developer leaves, the same is true when technical writers leave a company.
“Developers talk about technical debt, but we ignore the debt tech writers create when they leave.”
He believes that while AI is already assisting technical writers today, humans will always be necessary. AI may help with “background research and discovering sources,” but it doesn’t have the intuition and expertise of a human.
In a way, AI may allow technical writers to be more creative by saving time through AI-based research. However, for that, writers need to learn how to query AI.
While companies move toward lower-cost documentation, Steven thinks some may use AI to generate it, leading users to complain about missing information. At that point, customer support may take over.
At any rate, he believes technical writers need to learn everything about AI and its uses in technical writing to stay ahead of the curve. “Learn all you can about AI. Use tools such as ChatGPT to get an idea of what you can do.”
7. Heather Flanagan, Lead Editor at OpenID Foundation
Heather Flanagan is a Lead Editor at OpenID Foundation.
Also, the owner of Spherical Cow Consulting, Heather, is an experienced technical writer with project management and management consulting experience.
She believes one of the biggest challenges of technical writing in the future will be taking shortcuts with AI. She thinks that while AI may help develop the text, a lack of actual review may be the real issue.
“Even where a tech writer is involved, the developers and architects are not reviewing the content or providing enough detail.”
That’s why there’s always a need for human writers. Someone needs to review the content to ensure its relevance, accuracy, and style.
“AI is not going to get it right all the time, and you can’t predict when and how it’s going to get things wrong. It always needs review.”
Heather says that there may be things that AI is better at, such as API documentation. However, describing new technologies is something that always requires human input.
While AI can’t replace human writers in its entirety, it’s still a valuable tool for making processes more efficient.
“AI cannot replace everything a tech writer does, and there are areas where AI can’t really help at all beyond grammar checking.”
She notes that technical writers need to keep practicing and experimenting with AI to learn how to leverage it and “see where it works for them and where it fails.”.
8. Shane Copland, Senior Technical Writer at Amazon
Shane Copland is a Senior Technical Writer at Amazon.
Focusing on developer productivity, Shane has technical writing experience with companies such as Google and ServiceTitan.
He has a personal example of asking ChatGPT how to throw a pass in John Madden Football. The response to his question was to “press buttons to move the quarterback and press buttons to throw the ball.”
Therefore, AI today lacks the level of detail that technical writing requires. However, Shane does believe that AI may have that capability in the future, and that’s why, “to be safe, we should all learn AI maintenance.”
As of now, though, AI is a helpful tool for research and first drafts. That said, to ensure AI provides high-quality drafts, writers need to provide “the context only humans can provide,” as only they can empathize with the reader.
9. Edith E Bell Ph.D., Technical Writer
Edith E Bell Ph.D. is a Technical Writer.
Edith is a seasoned technical writer and owner of Bell Design Technologies. She thinks that despite AI providing multiple benefits, it’s still a “man-made technology that has its faults”.
Therefore, complete reliance on AI is not the answer, as credibility plays a significant role in technical writing.
“Due diligence is important to achieving credibility,” and, for a company, it is crucial to retaining high-quality content and meeting industry standards.
As a result, Edith believes that if a technical writer is leveraging AI, they “need to proofread and fact-check the AI output for understandability and accuracy.”
10. Elizabeth C. Haynes, Technical Writer at ScienceIO
Elizabeth C. Haynes is a Technical Writer at ScienceIO.
As an API documentation creator, Elizabeth understands the nuances of technical writing and the development of self-service learning assets.
She believes that AI is bound to make many companies feel they no longer need a technical writer. However, this is bound to “cause the overall quality of documentation to suffer at those companies.”
That’s why companies that value skilled writers and use their expertise to develop documentation are bound to grow and move forward.
Elizabeth says that “technical writing involves a lot of thought about human thinking and behavior, as well as an understanding of adult learning techniques,” to ensure that the technical content is compelling and digestible. “I don’t think AI is capable of replicating those skills yet.”
11. Jeanette DePatie, Senior Technical Writer
Jeanette DePatie is a Senior Technical Writer.
As a long-time technical writer and senior instructor, Jeanette believes that in the next few years, inexperienced companies will place less value on technical writing.
She believes that for technical writing to stand out, it “needs to add insight and foresight into the mix”, something that only humans can provide. Meanwhile, writers may use AI as a time-saving tool for research.
Jeanette also thinks that AI may lead to a price drop in entry and mid-level technical writing. However, this only means that technical writers need to figure out new ways to distinguish their work.
“Entry and mid-level technical writers may do well to figure out how to distinguish their voice from the AI voice and help their clients move up in the search engines and gain a following.”
She also thinks that, as new products and technologies develop, there will always be a need for human technical writers. While AI may generate content for older tech and products, the latest tech requires hard-to-find expertise that only a human can provide.
Furthermore, while AI is a great tool for developing first drafts, Jeanette thinks it may lead to spending insufficient time finding a unique angle, resulting in generic technical content. And as we move forward and AI advances, the need for that uniqueness and distinctive voice will increase.
She says, “I think there will be a continual battle between the ability for AI to create a unique writing ‘voice’ and the human ability to distinguish his/her/their voice.”
According to her, many companies use AI to develop new terms for technological processes. However, human suggestions are often better than what AI produces.
She believes that technical writers need to stay up to date on AI developments and advances, looking forward to “a cooperative relationship.”
12. Jen Heller, Technical Writer at CuneXus & National Student Clearinghouse
Jen Heller is a Technical Writer at CuneXus & National Student Clearinghouse.
Skilled in technical writing and resume writing, Jen doesn’t believe that AI can replace human technical writers.
Writing for human users involves understanding your audience and tailoring your documentation. “A big part of technical writing is analyzing your audience and customizing your documentation to them.”
It’s important to understand concepts such as accessibility, usability, cultural influences, and human-computer interaction to develop effective technical documentation.
You want the user to feel confident, accomplished, and satisfied after going through a document. However, “bad documentation can make them feel frustrated, confused, and angry.”
Therefore, you need to understand how human emotions work, something AI is not good at for the time being.
Jen says, “No matter how advanced it is, AI is still a computer program, and it can’t experience what users experience while using documentation.”
13. Kevin Halaburda, Senior Technical Writer at Keithley Instruments
Kevin Halaburda is a senior Technical Writer at Keithley Instruments.
With over a decade of experience in technical writing, Kevin thinks that changing content delivery methods is among the biggest challenges for technical writing in the future.
Furthermore, with the evolution of AI, “tech communicators need to start promoting trust in human-produced content.”
He thinks that, at the very least, a human needs to check an AI’s work. “For example, asking an AI bot for information or help might result in errant results. Those results might *seem* to be accurate, at least at first, but, maybe 30 minutes into an assembly procedure, all of a sudden you need a special tool that wasn’t mentioned earlier.”
Therefore, the involvement of human technical writers remains essential. A new branch of assistive technical writing jobs may develop.
“True AI, to me, is also learning-based; right now, AI is still basically pulling from human algorithms and databases of information.”
In any case, AI is bound to push technical writers to develop better experiences. To keep up, writers need more development and coding skills to leverage existing AI.
For example, technical writers may use AI to simplify delivery mechanisms. “Let’s say that a user is engaging an online bot for help on a company’s website. Maybe the help itself wouldn’t be written by an AI bot, but the bot could respond with several links to human-composed documents, videos, or anything.”
14. Scott Clark, Technical Writer
Scott Clark is a Technical Writer.
As a technical writer and web developer, Scott understands how to translate complex concepts into digestible bits. He thinks that with sufficient training data, AI may be able to do the same too.
“I believe there will be many businesses, especially in countries where English is not their primary language, that will rely upon generative AI to write documentation and technical manuals.”
That said, there’s still a need for human writers as they are capable of “precise analytical thinking, along with a deep understanding of the human condition.” That, along with the ability to empathize with users, is key to creating user-first technical content.
He thinks AI has the potential to write good documentation, but technical writers may have to shift their focus to fact-checking and copyediting.
Scott says, “Content that generative AI creates will need to be fact-checked, and human writers will have to ensure that it is free of biases.”
That means AI is bound to become another tool, helping supplement a technical writer’s work rather than replacing it.
“Technical writers should be aware of developments in AI, particularly generative AI, and they should become familiar with the intricacies of the more mainstream AI applications such as ChatGPT, the new Bing, and Google Bard.”
Final Remarks
For the most part, technical writers are looking forward to the introduction of AI into technical writing because it provides an easier way to research, brainstorm ideas, and develop early drafts.
Meanwhile, technical writers can focus on the human and creative aspects of technical writing, ensuring they develop user-first content.
Therefore, technical writers don’t need to worry about AI taking over their jobs; instead, they need to focus on how they may leverage AI to their advantage.
Also, if you want to master AI technical writing skills, check our AI technical writing course.
Related Interview Articles on the Future of AI
Explore more expert perspectives on how AI is shaping the writing and documentation fields:
If you are new to technical writing, we recommend taking our AI Technical Writing Certification Course. You will learn the fundamentals of being a technical writer, how to dominate technical writer interviews, and how to stand out as a technical writing candidate.
