The Human Touch: Ensuring Authenticity in Technical Documentation

When National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a nonprofit based in promoting creative writing around the world, released their initial statement on AI, many authors who looked forward to their annual tradition and a burst of productivity, removed their memberships on the website and spoke out. The authors speaking out, to be clear, also represented the communities that NaNoWriMo claimed to serve. While this article does not aim to cover NaNoWriMo’s statements on AI, Purposeful Prose would like to clarify that we do not condone the misuse of inclusive language from the original statement and encourage authors to check out alternatives.  

Conversations around AI and authorship will only increase in complexity as our guest writer from last week has highlighted. Here, we are focusing on technical documentation, normally used by businesses (including small businesses).

Technical documentation depends heavily on final details to ensure successful outcomes. A single oversight in a guide or manual can lead to jeopardized product launches and shattered user trust along with substantial financial losses. The emergence of AI writing assistants creates a strong temptation to automate content generation. For business owners who aren’t as confident in their written expression, for example, the idea of a machine that can turn out clickable content can feel like a time-saving device. 

AI tools learn from extensive datasets which enables them to effectively replicate writing

structure and style. However, they lack true comprehension. We already know that they can produce inaccurate or outdated statements, they can create security risks, and they have a significant negative impact on the environment. Purposeful Prose’s founding editor has experience working on cybersecurity documentation, and we can say the following: Risks are known. Risks are extensive. Not all risks are known or fully understood.

My dedication to precision and security drives my policy on artificial intelligence at Purposeful Prose. I never use any artificial intelligence systems or large language models when working on content creation or editing tasks. My expertise combined with my critical analysis forms the basis of my value system. I understand that AI isn’t going away and that some writers employ AI tools for some aspects of their work while maintaining originality. I do not personally use those tools. When AI-assisted drafting is used by clients, I conduct a joint fact-checking process combined with plagiarism evaluation. This process is required by Purposeful Prose for all AI-assisted manuscripts without exception. 

Authenticity demands the same level of importance as accuracy does. When people put their trust in companies for products, for information, for research, they expect professional skill and a dedication to quality. They do not expect generic, surface-level information that does not match their needs. Discussions within the writing community about NaNoWriMo and their lasting impacts, even today, make it clear that an audience’s trust aligns with the authenticity of those they support. A human editor can be a proofreader, but we do more than fix typos. We help people to retain the integrity of their messaging and maintain credibility. 

Does your technical documentation achieve the necessary standards for clarity,

accuracy, and security? Let’s talk. Contact Purposeful Prose to secure expert human editing and prevent costly mistakes.