The TRUTH about AI in Writing

Introduction

Hello everyone, this is Elizabeth Preston, and I'm Sarah Adams. Welcome to the Writing Docs podcast, where we discuss how businesses can help their teams become better and more confident writers. If your team needs help achieving positive writing outcomes, contact us at 877-249-7483 or email us at info@hurlyrite.com.

Today, we are thrilled to have Scott Hanselman as our guest. Scott has worked as a software engineer, programmer, and code writer for over 30 years. Currently, he is the Vice President of Microsoft’s Developer Community. He also has a strong online presence, with a successful blog, YouTube channel, TikTok account, and not one, but three podcasts.

Scott's Role at Microsoft

Scott discusses what it means to be the Vice President of Microsoft’s Developer Community. He explains that his role involves making developers who use Microsoft products successful and happy, from finding documentation to deploying their projects. His team creates workshops, writes samples, facilitates documentation, and helps developers feel less isolated.

Verbal and Written Communication in Scott’s Role

Scott highlights the importance of different types of writing in his work, including blogging, technical writing, and creating content for workshops. Each type of writing requires a distinct approach, whether it’s casual, formal, or both. Scott also presents verbally at conferences, which he calls "edutaining" to keep the audience engaged while educating them.

Challenges and Solutions in Communication

Scott discusses the challenges his team faces in communication, such as accommodating different levels of expertise and interest. He emphasizes the need for empathy and understanding that no one is good at everything. He talks about working in low-risk environments to practice new skills before moving to higher-stakes tasks.

Building a Community

Scott talks about the essence of building a community, mentioning that a big part of it is making people feel welcomed and appreciated. He recalls an example from Slack, where their release notes are written humorously to connect with users on a human level. He also mentions the importance of showing up consistently over a long period.

AI and Writing

Scott explores the use of AI in writing. AI should not replace the human element but act as a co-pilot to reduce toil. He brings in the concept of "stochastic parrots," which are AIs that generate language based on probability without understanding its meaning. He highlights how AI can help with summarizing content but should not replace human creativity and oversight.

Empathy in Communication

Scott emphasizes that empathy is vital in clear communication for technology professionals. He provides an example where he localized his presentation to resonate with a Malaysian audience, illustrating the need for understanding an audience's cultural context.

Golden Rule for Clear Communication

Scott’s golden rule for clear communication is understanding your audience. Whether writing a document or giving a presentation, knowing who you are serving is crucial.

Conclusion

Scott ends by encouraging the use of writing spaces with URLs to make content public and accessible. He shares a tool he created, keysleft.com, for calculating how many keystrokes one has left in their life to stress the importance of making every keystroke count.

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Community Building
Communication in Technology
Blogging
Empathy in Communication
Microsoft
Developer Community
Writing Skills
Co-pilot
Stochastic Parrots
Presentation Skills
Localization

FAQ

Q: What does the Vice President of Microsoft’s Developer Community do?
A: The role involves ensuring that developers using Microsoft products are happy and successful. This includes creating workshops, writing samples, facilitating documentation, and building a sense of community.

Q: How can AI be used responsibly in writing?
A: AI should act as a co-pilot to reduce toil and assist in tasks like summarizing content but should not replace the human element in creative processes.

Q: What are some tips for building a community around a brand?
A: Consistency is key. Writing content that resonates on a human level and making people feel appreciated helps in building a strong community.

Q: How important is empathy in communication?
A: Empathy is crucial for understanding your audience and tailoring your communication to resonate with them effectively.

Q: What are stochastic parrots?
A: Stochastic parrots are AIs that generate language based on probability without understanding its meaning, which can lead to convincingly wrong outputs.