150. AI in technical writing: where's the ROI and is it all hype?

Remember the excitement when ChatGPT burst onto the scene? Suddenly, it seemed like AI was going to revolutionise everything, including our field of technical communication. But now, 18 months and six Cherryleaf AI podcast episodes later, we're asking the big question: Was it all just hype? You've probably heard some folks saying AI isn't delivering the promised return on investment. And others swearing it's changing the game. So, what's the real story? In this episode, we'll examine these claims through the lens of technical writing. We'll: Examining recent claims about AI's lack of ROI Exploring how these claims stack up in the world of technical writing Looking at the potential benefits and pitfalls of AI for our work Discussing what factors might influence whether AI is worth the investment Whether you're an AI enthusiast or a sceptic, stick around. Let’s figure out where AI really stands in the world of technical documentation. We'll also publish a transcript of this podcast on the Cherryleaf blog. About Cherryleaf: Cherryleaf   Goldman Sachs https://www.goldmansachs.com/intelligence/pages/gs-research/gen-ai-too-much-spend-too-little-benefit/report.pdf? Ed Zitron https://www.wheresyoured.at/pop-culture/ Ethan Mollick:  https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d35e72fcff15f0001b48fc2/t/668d08608a0d4574b039bdea/1720518756159/chatgpt-full.pdf https://x.com/emollick/status/1815563452640854093 MadCap Software https://www.madcapsoftware.com/blog/madcap-ixaccms-ai-positron/