Product content in the brave new world of cognitive technology

Is the recent frenzy around cognitive technologies – deep learning, agentive technology, bots, and AI – something technical communicators need to be concerned about? Do these technologies herald a new renaissance for content? Or is our field doomed to obsolescence when the bots take over?

Text by Andrea L. Ames

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Product content in the brave new world of cognitive technology

Image: © bowie15/123rf.com

To sum up my opinion about this brave new world:

Same problems, different day… huge opportunity.

What do I mean? Let’s start with "same problems".

Same problems

At its roots, not much has changed about business or our industry since the bots began taking over (the past 5-10 years). Our goals are the same:

  • Our clients (as in the consumers of our content) want to achieve success.
  • Businesses want to acquire and retain customers, make money, and grow.
  • As technical communicators we want to
    - support our clients in successfully achieving their goals
    - contribute to the success of our businesses to achieve their goals

In other words, everyone wants an experience in which the right content is designed and delivered to the right people at the right time.

These core tenets of our industry and business have not changed over the 35 years that I’ve been in this industry. The business ...