AI for tech writers: threat or opportunity?

From its first attempt to simulate human learning, Artificial Intelligence has become omnipresent throughout all aspects of our lives. While some fear that it might steal our jobs, today it can help us to become better technical communicators.

Text by Brónagh Synnott

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Image: © Ekkasit919/istockphoto.com

What is Artificial Intelligence? 

It is difficult to provide a definition that encompasses the origin and ever-evolving nature of Artificial Intelligence (AI). But broadly speaking, AI can refer to a wide array of coded tools and techniques that are capable of extracting meaning and patterns from data, and then “learn” from these insights. These tools can then be used to “recognize” certain features in other data. This learning is called “Machine Learning” and/or “Deep Learning”. These are subsets of AI, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, although they mean different things.

 

How did AI originate?

Artificial Intelligence was conceptualized back in the 1950s. British computer scientist Alan Turing asked in his now-famous 1950 paper, “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” whether or not machines can think. His article did not mention AI by name but it provided a useful ...