Part 1 in a series of 5
In this five-part series, Firehead takes a look Frontier AI and the impact it is having on technical communicators’ roles and the future labour market for digital communication
What does Frontier AI mean for technical communication’s future?
Many businesses, observers of commerce and technology commentators, alongside recruitment and training companies specialising in the field – like Firehead – have to admit that 2023 unleashed a few curveballs. And they reminded us that our ability to fully grasp the implications of frontier AI currently lags behind our competence to roll it out.
Those working in the vortex of the digital revolution have not been immune to uncertainty and many businesses have applied the brakes, unsure whether to continue down the same course with their content methodologies, operations, and strategies. Generative AI promises so much, but the risks are also immense and, frankly, uncharted. And we’re at the frontier of what we know and understand.
When ChatGPT emerged a little over a year ago, ‘it sent shockwaves through the technology industry and the larger world’, in the words of Timothy Lee in a July 2023 article at www.understandingai.org (and the www is important there). Machine learning research had been experimenting with large language models (LLMS) for several years, but few ‘outsiders’ knew how far advances had come, outside of the typing ‘predictive’ on their smartphones.
ChatGPT has scared the life out of as many CTOs as it has inspired with its potential cost savings. But every single technology executive has had to rethink their entire approach to content: the management of its capture, creation, stacking, search, and broadcast. Taking it ‘slow and cautious’ risks being left behind; playing fast and loose to jump ahead risks everything.
Where does this place us and our future as technical communicators? Ahem, these are big questions that we’re trying to take up at Firehead. It will be great for some fields, whilst obliterating others. Where will we fit into the new normal?
It’s clear that we’ll need to leverage new technologies like generative AI to streamline workflows and enhance user experiences. While some traditional methods may become redundant, there are exciting opportunities to explore innovative approaches in content development that will HELP OUR JOBS.
By staying agile and proactive, by looking ahead and upskilling to match needs, technical communicators and all content professionals can navigate this transformative period and carve out a valuable role in shaping the future of content.
This blog post is only the start of a series, and a driving passion for finding the path forward for digital communicators in this brave new world. Let’s explore this together.
At Firehead, we’re incredibly optimistic about the future of digital and technical communication. We offer individuals and corporates the opportunity to upskill NOW to take advantage of these quantum shifts in the digital revolutions.
Contacts us here today to discuss your training requirements.
