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Susan Githaiga
Susan Githaiga

Posted on • Edited on

Emerging trends in Technical Writing

With recent advancements in AI, there has been a new wave of layoffs since some Tech jobs have been taken over by AI. However, with the sudden surge of AI implementation into the tech workspace, there has been an equal creation of new Tech roles and advancements in some, such as Technical writing.

Think about it, 7 years ago, no one would have thought that the boring Documentation would have advanced and reached such a milestone. I mean, most people just prefer to understand new things by actually testing them, not by reading through a boring 10-page document.

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The work of technical writers has definitely grown in importance. As a Technical writer, it is important to stay up to date with these emerging trends in AI to stay relevant in the craft. Some of these trends include:

Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Automation
If you work as a technical writer, you may have encountered the terms Bard and ChatGPT. These are currently the most used AI tools in 2023.
Technical writers use these tools to automate repetitive tasks, enabling them to dedicate their time to more creative and intricate aspects of their work. The use of Natural Language Generation (NLG), an AI technology, might create comprehensive first drafts of manuals or guides, further simplifying the technical writing process.

Distributed work models
New technologies are allowing whole teams to work remotely. Most Technical writers have shifted to using version control systems such as Git, GitHub and GitLab to collaborate with their team members . These systems technical writing teams to keep track of their documentation and roll back unnecessary changes.

Improved UX design
When people are reading to make decisions, the content is the experience. You can have a simple design and people will be happy. But if you have a complex design, people will have to work hard to understand it.

So, the content and technical communication are important parts of the user interface and structure.And tech writers are able to give a plain-language explanation of how your product works, so everyone can understand it.

The adoption of Digital Tools and Platforms
Advancements in technology have resulted the creation of new tools and digital platforms that technical writers can use to create, edit, and publish their documents.
As a technical writer, leveraging this tools to your career can put you ahead of the crowd by making you more connected, more efficient and more informed. It is a trend that is likely to continue in the years to come.

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