ENG110: Elements of Technical Writing: Social Context & AI

Social justice is an important piece of technical writing. Technical writers can help remove barriers for marginalized groups by:

• using unbiased language
• addressing diverse audiences
• ensuring accessibility

This transforms documentation into a tool for equity, empowering all users—not just those with privilege—to access and understand vital information.

For more information about the intersection of social justice and technical writing, see the resources listed below.

The advent of AI has brought a new set of opportunities and challenges to the field of technical writing. Some of the benefits AI can provide in this field include:

• automating routine tasks, like grammar checking
• accelerating document creation
• improving consistency

However, technical writers must weigh the benefits against the drawbacks of using AI in their day-to-day work. Not only can the use of AI lead to generic or inaccurate content, bias, and ethical concerns, it can also devalue the expertise of skilled human authors. For more information about the intersection of technical writing and AI, see the resources listed below.