Lately, I’ve been hearing the same question from students, colleagues, and industry professionals alike: How important is AI to the future of technical communication? And the answer, honestly, is that it’s becoming essential. We’re living through a moment where AI tools aren’t just on the horizon. They’re here. And they’re changing how organizations approach communication, content management, and user experience at every level.
Technical communication as a field has always been about adaptation. From the earliest days of user manuals to today’s intricate content ecosystems, we’ve evolved to meet new needs and challenges. But what I see right now is a widening gap between what the workforce is demanding and what many technical communication programs are currently teaching. AI skills aren’t just a nice-to-have—they’re quickly becoming a must-have.
When I say AI skills, I’m not talking about coding neural networks from scratch (though if that’s your thing, more power to you). I’m talking about understanding how AI impacts content workflows, how tools like ChatGPT and other generative AI models can enhance or hinder communication efforts, and how technical communicators can shape AI technologies to better serve users. That last point is critical. Because if we don’t get involved, AI systems will continue to be developed with little to no attention to usability, accessibility, or ethical implications.
So, what skills should technical communicators be developing? First, there’s AI literacy—understanding what these tools can do, where they fall short, and how they can be integrated effectively. This includes developing prompt engineering skills to generate useful outputs from AI tools. Next, there’s a need for critical analysis: being able to evaluate AI-generated content for accuracy, coherence, and inclusivity. And let’s not forget about ethical awareness. As AI systems are increasingly used to create content, technical communicators need to advocate for responsible AI use that prioritizes user agency and equity.
The bottom line? We need to broaden our skill sets to remain relevant. More importantly, we need to actively engage with these tools to ensure they’re working for people, not just at them. If you’re in tech comm and you haven’t started developing your AI skill set, there’s no better time than now. Because the future of our field depends on it.
Here are some sources for learning more about AI-specific skills that are already in demand:
Ahmadi, M., Khosh Kheslat, N., & Akintomide, A. (2024). Generative AI impact on labor market: Analyzing ChatGPT’s demand in job advertisements. arXiv preprint. Retrieved from https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.07042arXiv
Bittle, S. (2024). The AI co-author: The role of technical writing in tech, pharma, and other industries. SkyHive. Retrieved from https://www.skyhive.ai/resource/the-ai-co-author-the-role-of-technical-writing-in-tech-pharma-and-other-industriesSkyHive
Gulati, P., Marchetti, A., Puranam, P., & Sevcenko, V. (2025). Generative AI adoption and higher order skills. arXiv preprint. Retrieved from https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.09212arXiv
Harris, J. (2023). The skills your employees need to work effectively with AI. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2023/11/the-skills-your-employees-need-to-work-effectively-with-aiHarvard Business Review
Istria, I. (2024). Why soft skills are key in the age of artificial intelligence. Horton International. Retrieved from https://hortoninternational.com/why-soft-skills-are-key-in-the-age-of-artificial-intelligence/Horton International
Mäkelä, E., & Stephany, F. (2024). Complement or substitute? How AI increases the demand for human skills. arXiv preprint. Retrieved from https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.19754arXiv
Salesforce. (2025). Human-AI collaboration skills key to the future of work. Salesforce Blog. Retrieved from https://www.salesforce.com/blog/human-ai-collaboration/Salesforce
SkyHive. (2024). The role of AI in technical writing. SkyHive. Retrieved from https://www.skyhive.ai/resource/the-ai-co-author-the-role-of-technical-writing-in-tech-pharma-and-other-industriesSkyHive
Write Interactive. (2025). AI in technical writing: What does the future hold? Write Interactive. Retrieved from https://www.writeinteractive.com/ai-in-technical-writing/writeinteractive.com