AI in Documentation: A Double-Edged Sword for Developers

The Rise of AI in Documentation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made significant strides in our daily developer workflows, including the generation of technical documentation. From auto-generated Confluence pages to AI-produced READMEs, the speed and efficiency of AI have been game-changers. However, as we delve deeper into this topic, it becomes apparent that while AI may save time, it does not always ensure the creation of high-quality, consumable documentation.

The Promise and the Pitfalls

AI is undeniably useful for creating structure, generating consistent templates, translating code into text, and filling in obvious sections. For teams under time pressure, this speed is hard to argue with. However, the issue arises when AI-generated documentation fails to articulate ideas effectively, making it difficult to understand and retain information over time.

The Problem Unveiled

The problem with AI-generated documentation became apparent when I revisited a document a month or so later and struggled to understand its gist. The words were there, the page was complete, but the meaning did not stick. This realization led to the understanding that while the document had been written, it had not been articulated.

The Real Purpose of Documentation

The primary purpose of documentation is not merely to put text on a page. It is to articulate ideas in a way that is easy to consume, easy to retain, and still clear months or even a year later. Good documentation survives time.

The Role of AI in the North East and India

The impact of AI in documentation is felt globally, including in the North East region and broader India. As technology continues to advance, the need for clear, concise, and consumable documentation becomes increasingly important to ensure the smooth functioning of software projects.

The Power of Conversational Documentation

The most effective Confluence pages and READMEs feel like a teammate explaining things to you. They anticipate confusion, use plain language, tell you what matters, and reduce anxiety. Humans, with their ability to capture tradeoffs, add context, and reduce anxiety, still excel at creating this type of documentation.

A Balanced Approach

AI should not be dismissed outright, but its output should not be permanent without a human pass. A healthier approach is to let AI generate the first draft and then have a human cut verbosity, remove unnecessary jargon, add context and opinion, and rewrite sections in a conversational way. This balanced approach ensures that the documentation is both efficient and consumable.

Final Thoughts

AI can explain what exists, but humans explain what matters. Use AI, absolutely. Just do not let its output become permanent without a human pass, because documentation that is not consumable does not fade away. It lingers, unread, forever.