AI will kill SaaS — Transformation of the technical writer role

In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), the way teams operate will transform dramatically. AI is not just changing the tools we use but also the roles we play. One such evolution is the emergence of “Knowledge Keepers,” a role that will redefine how organizations manage, optimize, and leverage their knowledge assets.

Knowledge Keepers: The Next Evolution

Today, technical writers, support managers, and product managers hold pivotal roles in documenting processes, guiding users, and shaping product direction. In the future, these roles will converge and evolve into Knowledge Keepers — the custodians of organizational truth. Unlike the technical writers of today, who focus on creating documentation, Knowledge Keepers will act as the arbiters of truth and the architects of AI-readable knowledge.

Their mission: not to document processes, but to ensure that every byte of knowledge within an organization is collected, agreed upon, and optimized for AI systems to understand and utilize. They will:

Centralize Contributions: Knowledge Keepers will integrate inputs from various stakeholders — whether they come as comments on a document, support tickets, or product release notes — into a single, coherent source of truth.

Resolve Conflicts: In cases of conflicting information, Knowledge Keepers will mediate between stakeholders. They will ensure that decisions are backed by data, consensus, and clarity, thus maintaining the integrity of the organization’s knowledge base.

Optimize Knowledge for AI: By structuring and refining information, Knowledge Keepers will make organizational data compatible with AI, enabling systems to draw accurate insights and make informed decisions.

Transforming Current Roles

Several existing roles are uniquely positioned to evolve into Knowledge Keepers:

Technical Writers: From being creators of documentation to becoming curators of organizational knowledge. Their skills in synthesizing and structuring information will be critical.

Support Managers: With their deep understanding of user needs and feedback, they will bridge the gap between customer experience and internal processes.

Product Managers: As strategic thinkers, they will ensure that the knowledge aligns with the organization’s vision and goals.

The Role of Knowledge Keepers in Decision-Making

Imagine this scenario: A sales representative commits to a pricing structure proposal and submits it for approval. However, the finance team has a conflicting pricing policy. In today’s world, resolving this might involve navigating complex tools like Salesforce. While Salesforce is powerful, it often requires extensive customization and user training. The sales team would need to input the pricing proposal into specific modules, the finance team would analyze policies across separate workflows, and resolving the conflict might involve tedious back-and-forth emails or meetings.

In the future, with Knowledge Keepers, this process becomes seamless. The sales team contributes the new pricing policy directly to the organization’s AI-optimized knowledge base. The AI system immediately detects conflicts by cross-referencing the proposed policy with existing financial policies. It flags the discrepancies and alerts the Knowledge Keeper. The Knowledge Keeper then steps in to:

1. Review the flagged conflicts and identify the areas of disagreement.

2. Organize a conflict resolution meeting between the sales and finance teams, facilitating a discussion to address the discrepancies.

3. Once an agreement is reached, update the knowledge base with the finalized policy, ensuring that future pricing proposals are aligned and conflict-free.

Instead of navigating a labyrinth of modules and workflows, stakeholders would rely on the Knowledge Keeper and AI collaboration to centralize, simplify, and validate the information. This not only streamlines decision-making but also makes traditional tools like Salesforce redundant, as organizations prioritize intuitive, centralized solutions over complex SaaS systems.

Why This Matters

As AI continues to permeate every aspect of business, the importance of accurate, structured, and accessible knowledge cannot be overstated. Organizations that embrace the role of Knowledge Keepers will:Enhance their AI systems’ effectiveness.Reduce friction caused by misinformation or knowledge silos.Gain a competitive edge by making faster, data-driven decisions.The future of work is collaborative, AI-driven, and deeply interconnected. Knowledge Keepers will be at the heart of this transformation, ensuring that organizations thrive in the age of AI by becoming the custodians of truth and the enablers of progress.