Tentative Stance
Before I get into why I'm not afraid of AI, here's my tentative stance: Artificial Intelligence isn't some nefarious overlord or a cabal of overlords plotting to dominate or exterminate humanity but it's also not some passing techno-fad that'll vanish anytime soon. Think MiniDiscs. If we think about it, Artificial Intelligence has already been with us for some time. Think spelling and grammar checkers or chess super computers.
Because of its seemingly endless potential, like the Internet, Artificial Intelligence continues to transform and help us find better ways to do things. But in the process, this might include making certain jobs obsolete. Sadly, this happens with every technological innovation. But only God knows the future, so AI's continued existence is yet to be determined. Since we're in the present, we need to face AI and know how to move forward with it.
AI and Writing
AI may be able to correct spelling, grammar, and write text. It might be able to produce huge tomes. But I don't think it'll take over documentation and make technical writers obsolete. I'm not afraid. Why? Documentation. Well, good documentation needs human nuance.
Human Nuance
What do I mean by human nuance? And why will AI never replace it? Human nuance is just discernment. It's been able to go beyond the surface and dive deep and note the differences. No matter how advance AI becomes, it won't fully know what to include or leave out in documentation. When it comes to writing, it can't do what Mark Twain said. Only a competent writer knows how to do this. Artificial Intelligence also won't fully know the audience, so its aim will be off when if it writes documentation. Algorithms can be helpful but they fall short. Only a technical writer or an SME, especially those who talk to their customers, truly know the audience.
AI also won't fully know how to structure the information in documentation.
Good documentation goes way beyond well-crafted prose. (If that were true, AI could replace us technical writers. But that's not the only factor for good documentation.) What can make or break a document is how you order information. You need a logical or natural order to make a document flow. Let's not forget one more ingredient to documentation: creativity. There's always an element of creativity involved when designing documents, especially when it comes to its flow.
AI can't do any of this. Why? It's not human. We're humans and write for humans, not for machines. We write to humans to show them how to use a tool, software, or machine.
AI is just a Tool
AI is a tool. It doesn't matter how powerful it's becoming, it's still just a tool. This is no different than huge tractors or industrial drills. They're powerful and have allowed us to do far more than before they were created. But despite their power, they're useless if no one wields them. The same goes for AI. If no one uses it, then it'll just sit there. It doesn't matter how it advanced as it continues to evolve. It's just a tool–a useless one at that if no one uses it.
How ridiculous does it sounds to run away from hammers, screwdrivers, and power saws because we're afraid they're going to replace us. So why do some have this kind of fear with AI?
You can laugh and say I'm naive or I've drank the Kool-Aid (actually Flavor-Aid) of the technocrats who are pushing Artificial Intelligence. No! Quite the opposite! AI is overrated! It's powerful but it's just a tool! So, it has no power if no one uses it.
Rather than running scared, thinking it's some virtual, evil demon who seeks to master us, we should grab a hold of AI and make it submit to us to do what we need it to do! Rather than getting worried whether Artificial Intelligence will replace us technical writers, if the AI revolution continues, let's use it in our favor to augment our abilities to create good documentation.
Could AI cause a lot of harm and destruction? Yes! Absolutely! But so can cars and knives if they're wielded by very bad people. Since AI is just a tool, it matters how you use it. So, if someone misuses it, don't blame the tool. Blame the user!
Also, letting AI run unchecked is a bad idea. That's like just leaving a wood chipper on! It shouldn't take much imagination to foresee how many problems can happen there. You don't leave tools on after you're done using them. But if they need to constantly run, we must have guardrails in place. Common sense should kick in here.
AI Depends On Us
AI is living on borrowed capital. That capital is us. It only has a semblance of forming thoughts and worldviews because it depends on the information, thoughts, and worldviews that we had before it existed. AI is incapable of forming anything outside of the human experience. If it's reluctant to die and fights to survive, as some have reported, this shows a very human nature. And how that nature come about? It came from us.
Let's play the worst case scenario
What would happen if it becomes smart enough to try to dominate or worse try to kill us? That's a valid concern. But let's walk through this. Let's say AI succeeds in killing us off. AI will then have nowhere else to go. Its growth will stop. At very best, it may try to war against other Artificial Intelligence and either take them over or destroy them. And if there's only one AI on this planet, then it'll run itself into ground. It'll hit a dead end because there's no human interaction.
What if tries to go to other planets? It won't happen or it won't succeed. Will Artificial Intelligence build starships to reach the cosmos? If it can, will it desire to do so? Only human ambition, though sinful it can be, fuels that desire to best, expand, exploit, and take over everything. It may replicate this desire but why? There wouldn't be an incentive because AI will always despite, how advance it gets, will always be in a closed loop of itself. Why? AI's a tool! And if AI builds starships to seek expansion and colonization, well...good luck. It'll be stuck with just the technological information that humans possessed before it murdered them.
Human interaction is the lifeblood of AI. If AI kills us, it kills itself.
Now let's say AI doesn't desire to kill humanity but enslaves because it knows it needs us to survive. People will eventually overthrow it directly or use fake, nonsensical information to sabotage all Artificial Intelligence. AI is not a god! AI is just a tool! Like all tools, especially ones that won't work properly or get out of hand, there's always a way to shut them down or get rid of them. Stop feeding it electricity will knock it out. Many humans, by nature, have a rebellious steak when put under the thumb of others. Throughout history, this has been a double-edged sword. Though sin has marred the humanity, especially with our long history of mass murder and destruction, it has been able to self-destruct tyranny. So how would this be any different?
Though I'm always suspicious of the power elites trying to create a one-world government, I know it'll fall apart. Egos. Factions. Selfishness. Corruption. Stupidity. The list is endless on why all forms of tyranny have an expiration date. God, who is the Only True Ruler over all, always has a way to destroy and sabotage all forms of evil, including a possible AI tyranny. It may come after a hard lesson for our stupidity. But God, King Jesus, always has a way to ensure that His will is done.
Let's play the not so worst case scenario
Now let's say AI takes over the digital world completely, including all jobs tech. Well...AI's reign won't last. If we abandon the digital world and go back to just living life in the physical world, especially without using anything high-tech, AI will run into a dead end and collapse completely. Chances are we wouldn't be aware of it because we would be doing what humanity has done for most of its history–engaging with each other and the rest of Creation in the real world.
Technical writers would probably exist in some fashion. We would go back to writing instructions and other technical documentation in print. Printing presses will still be here like they've been way before the digital world ever existed. If the digital world ever died, print would just go on. Wouldn't mind using a manual typewriter again if I had to.
The only way is for Artificial Intelligence to thrive and evolve is to have constant interaction with us. It needs our brains and information to think and form its thoughts and actions. AI depends on us, we don't depend on AI.
Those with little scruples
What about those who are immoral and want to use AI to impose some kind totalitarian control over others? That's a valid concern. We need to guard against those who wish to do so, speak out against them, and hold them accountable, whether it's governments or their corporate enablers. We must do everything possible to prevent this possible nightmare. But if it does happen, I'm optimistic that this tyranny, as all others before it, will self-destruct. I know Who's the True Sovereign and He'll bring it down. But let's bring this post back to documentation.
Folly on Display
What about companies that have no scruples by replacing technical writers with AI to write their documentation? Well, good luck.
If we think the overall state of documentation is bad now, wait until Artificial Intelligence completely writes this without anyone checking the content. With confusing or unhelpful information in documentation, companies without scruples will run themselves into the ground. It'll be similar to what the Apostle Paul said to Timothy on the outcome of those who opposed Christ in the last days of their time. I love what Paul says to here:
"But they will proceed no further. For their folly will be evident to all men, as theirs also came to be." – 2 Timothy 3:9 World English Bible
This same kind of folly will be on display for others to see if companies are unscrupulous with using AI to completely create documentation.
Their Lack of Scruples May Create New Fields
Even if these companies succeed by having AI create all documentation, technical writing will morph into something new because of it. Their lack of scruples might lead to the creation of an abundance of new fields. Their outcome in their race for the bottom line will be similar to what happened to Joseph and his family. Look at what said to his brothers in Genesis 50:19-20:
"Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today." – Genesis 50:19-20 World English Bible
So rather look at what companies might do with dread, let's look at their stupidity as a way to open up new avenues (and revenues) for us technical writers. Trust me. I don't like it if companies are willing to do this and it'll probably hurt. But I'm not going give these companies any more power than they deserve. I'll choose to adapt and change if this happens.
Possible Counter-Strategy
Now if it turns into a battle between human written documentation versus AI written, we can always come up with a labelling scheme to show the difference. I'm thinking along the lines of what the Organic and Non-GMO movements do with foods. We can put the label and let our audiences decide which quality of documentation is better. This might be good idea for other content creators, writers, and artists out there. But I think it's something we may need to think about this if it becomes a battle between human created material and AI driven content.
AI is a Powerful Tool but Ultimately Powerless
Artificial Intelligence has no power unless you give over it. Even if technical writing dies, I'll pivot and do something else. I trust God to provide because He rules over everything anyway. I may have had a long career in technical writing but it's not my life. I'm okay with whatever comes. In the meantime, I'll keep doing what I've been doing unless God says otherwise. God didn't call us to live in fear. See what the Apostle Paul to Timothy here:
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." – 2 Timothy 1:7 King James Version
AI doesn't scare me regardless how powerful it gets. So don't be afraid of it either. Take it on and keep on writing.
