Navigating the landscape of Technical communication and AI
Alexander Viksten embraces the evolving nature of his role as a Technical Communicator as AI becomes increasingly integrated into information development.
Finding myself at the ideal employer
Since joining Aleido as a Technical Communicator, I’ve gained some fantastic insights into the gold standard of what sound work culture should be, employer branding that actually means something, and the confidence boost that comes from having people recognising your individual skills and letting you apply them to your daily work.
A diverse and empowered team
My colleagues and I form a diverse group, with backgrounds that are not exclusively technical. We are teachers, chimney sweeps, English majors, actual tech writers, medical doctors, musicians, and more. Our differences empower us. Working at Aleido has been a very positive experience, with a strong people-centric culture that emphasises work-life balance and assignment quality.
My current role
I currently work as a central resource for both static and cross-functional teams. My assignment mainly involves managing master data for third-party product information related to equipment in our customers' own factories. While I do still write instructions and manuals, that’s not the primary focus of my current role.
The role of AI in Tech Communication
The paradigm shift brought by AI ignites debates about the future of roles like technical communicators. For me, it has sparked curiosity rather than defensiveness. I realise I need to master my tools to thrive and survive. We still haven’t seen the revolution that should have made every tech communicator obsolete. Instead, we now understand that our role is evolving from writing every single word to defining and strengthening the structure of documentation. We must also understand and identify limitations in the information and data used for written content and critically review AI-generated content.
Setting the tone of voice for AI, reviewing generated content, and understanding how to structure in-data will most likely be key skills for technical communicators.
Becoming an AI Champion at Aleido
When Aleido started its AI initiative, I was approached to join as an AI ambassador or "AI Champion." It allows me to be at the forefront of this technological shift. Part of the role is also to understand the limitations of AI and manage expectations. When I can’t answer a question, I take it back to the strong organisation behind me for discussion.
The championship is also about being a technology driver and spokesperson internally. A fellow AI champion and I have initiated local knowledge-sharing sessions covering themes such as work-flow improvement, tool tips & trix, business acumen, and of course AI.
Adapting to the future of Tech CoMmunication
To navigate the implications of AI as a tech communicator, I plan to continuously micro-learn about it. I might even try to learn basic Python to better understand the logic behind the code. I’ll stay open to new tools and processes that move me away from actual writing and place me in a reviewing or overseeing position. I also see a need to ensure that stakeholders in our assignments understand the potential problems we might encounter in document structuring, handling, and processes.
I believe the future of the tech communicator role will resemble a database management position. Developing and structuring attributes and relationships, for AI to populate and generate on-demand content. In the future, setting the tone of voice for AI, reviewing generated content, and understanding how to structure in-data will most likely be key skills for technical communicators.
FACTS
Title: Technical Communicator
Education: Autodidact, unfinished m.sc degree in mechanical engineering
Worked at Aleido since: 2023
What kind of possibilitarian are you: The kind who shares knowledge to spark interest in product information. I want to empower assignments to drive themselves forward, preventing stagnation in the product information technology they use.
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