AI is changing fast, and if you’re in tech comms, you may be wondering where that leaves you.

Anyone reading this article is well aware that AI, especially generative AI, is constantly reshaping the way we work. Developers are automating, marketers are prompting, and product teams are integrating. But what about the Tech Comms folk? If you're a technical communicator, tech writer/author, technical content developer or whichever title you prefer, you might have found yourself on a few occasions pondering what the future holds for tech comms folk. After all, GenAI can write, summarise, translate, and even chat to users. Is there a need for tech writers anymore?

For me, an empathetic approach to user assistance (in all its guises) is a win win situation.

With software and applications becoming increasingly self-service, user assistance plays a pivotal role in enhancing the user journey, and with recent tech comms trends using youtube, twitter, and conversational UI to provide user assistance, it’s a journey I hope all technical communicators are excited to make.

Not all of us like change. Some of us embrace it. Some of us wince at the very mention of it. However, most of us would agree that many aspects of life are in a continuous process of change.

One of the most noticeable shifts in the last decade is our ever-changing relationship with technology. And, from the perspective of technical communications, how such changes alter how we design and produce user assistance.

For the last 20 years, I’ve championed, adhered to, and adopted many aspects of technical communications best practice. It has served me in good stead. However, in a quest to continually improve “user assistance” I’ve also embraced change, adopting both past and recent innovations. Technical communicators should deliver equally innovative and compelling user assistance: Blend the old ways with the new.

Online knowledge bases need to provide How-Tos; step-by-step guides; videos; PDF guides; diagrams; tips and best practice—a diverse collection of learning media to encompass a mix of learning requirements and styles.

However, online knowledge bases face many challenges, such as continually building and adding content, and, moreover, ensuring that content is both relevant and accessible to users of varying requirements and levels of expertise.

A recent trend in technical communications that best illustrates this is the adoption of a more conversational and nuanced tone of voice. Both Mozilla and Microsoft have reportedly used this to significant effect, claiming an increase of 13% in their online knowledge base hit rate.