By Ronnie Duncan
May 5, 2025
Recently, an outplacement firm reached out to us with a curious question: Would we be interested in professional writers or instructional designers who don’t believe in using artificial intelligence for writing?
We get this kind of question a lot. Another frequent one is:
“Is AI eliminating the need for professional technical writers, instructional designers, and corporate communications professionals? Is TimelyText in trouble?”
Let’s set the record straight.
Unless a writer or instructional designer is dealing exclusively with confidential, proprietary, or highly original content that isn’t available anywhere in the public domain, they should be using AI tools—particularly generative artificial intelligence—to boost their efficiency and creativity. If they’re not, they’re falling behind. And frankly, that makes them a less attractive candidate for us or for our clients.
AI isn’t dismantling the writing profession. What it’s doing is fundamentally reshaping it.
At TimelyText, we see this shift firsthand every day. Generative AI can help accelerate the writing process, uncover fresh ideas, and streamline natural language generation. From summarizing dense materials to generating rough drafts to analyzing tone and structure, these tools are changing the game.
But here’s the thing: AI is a tool. Not a replacement.
Most of our clients are incorporating AI in some form. They may use it for research, idea generation, or first drafts—but they’re not handing over final content creation to a robot. They still need real humans with real expertise to review, refine, and transform AI-generated material into something polished, accurate, and meaningful.
Why? Because AI can’t:
- Understand your company’s nuanced brand voice
- Accurately apply regulatory compliance standards
- Choose the right tone for your specific audience
- Exercise the strategic judgment needed to turn content into communication that matters
There’s still strong demand for professional writers and instructional designers who can:
- Ensure clarity, consistency, and compliance across all content
- Conduct in-depth research that goes far beyond what AI can “scrape”
- Craft narratives that resonate on a human level—with customers, employees, or stakeholders
- Spot the gaps, contradictions, or misinterpretations that AI might miss
- Tailor learning content and technical documentation for specific learners, use cases, and delivery platforms
Some clients are all-in on AI. Others are just beginning to experiment. But almost none are replacing their writers with bots. Instead, they’re asking for writers who know how to use AI well—not avoid it.
For clients in regulated sectors like pharmaceuticals, financial services, and government contracting, precision is paramount. When accuracy can affect patient safety, legal compliance, or business risk, AI-generated content is only a starting point. The final product must still be human-reviewed and professionally written.
That’s why we say: the best writers today aren’t those who reject AI—they’re the ones who understand when, where, and how to use it wisely.
And yes—this article was drafted using ChatGPT. Wouldn’t it be silly if we didn’t practice what we preach? We embrace generative AI every day, not as a crutch, but as a springboard.
So what’s the real takeaway?
AI is here to stay. And for skilled writers, that’s not a threat—it’s an opportunity.
When used strategically, AI can enhance creativity, speed up early drafts, and improve the overall writing process. But it still takes a human to write with intention, understand context, and connect with readers. Strong writing—whether generated, guided, or polished by a person—will always be in demand.
So no, TimelyText isn’t in trouble. We’re thriving—because we embrace the tools, understand their limits, and collaborate with professionals who know how to use them to produce better, smarter, more effective content.
The bottom line?
Strong writing and editing skills, whether AI-assisted or not, will always be in demand.
And yes, I used ChatGPT to help me draft this article. Wouldn’t it be silly if I didn’t?
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
I’m a storyteller!
Exactly how I’ve told stories has changed through the years, going from writing college basketball analysis in the pages of a newspaper to now, telling the stories of the people of TimelyText. Nowadays, that means helping a talented technical writer land a new gig by laying out their skills, or even a quick blog post about a neat project one of our instructional designers is finishing in pharma.
