What You Need to Do

Read and respond to a workplace scenario that presents an ethical dilemma in at least two Discussion posts. In your response, address what you would do in the situation and suggest strategies to avoid the dilemma in the future. Discuss the posted options with your group. Use the step-by-step instructions below to complete the task.

How This Activity Connects to the Course

Ethical considerations matter in everything that you write in the workplace. You may well find yourself in a situation similar to this scenario once you graduate (or even sooner as an intern). This scenario focuses on upholding quality standards in the workplace when AI is part of the workflow.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Success Tip

You can use the online texts, any notes that you have, and the available course pages in Canvas for help as you work on these questions. You can also talk to one another.

  1. Read the scenario below and consider the ethical dilemma involved for Aiysha and the team members.
  2. In your your first post, do the following:
    1. Present a position statement that answers the question “What would you do in this situation?”
      • Provide reasoning from your own personal code of ethics. Here you focus on what YOU think is right.
      • Provide reasoning from your discipline’s code of ethics, OR Provide at least one supporting statement or example from the Ethics Resource Module.
    2. Explain what Aiysha’s team should do in the future to avoid such situations.
  3. Read the posts from others in your group, paying attention to how you agree or disagree on their solutions.
  4. Write at least one additional post to discuss the solution your group will recommend and the actions Aiysha’s team should take to avoid such dilemmas in the future.

The Scenario

AI and Quality Standards in Documentation

A focused Black woman with long braided hair and stylish jewelry, working on a laptop in a office setting, with other coworkers in the background.
Image created with Midjourney

Aiysha is a senior technical writer at TechTV, a company that manufactures digital televisions and supporting equipment. The company recently adopted an advanced AI system called IntelliWrite to help create and manage technical specifications and programming instructions.

The AI software has significantly improved efficiency, reducing the time Aiysha and her team spend on initial drafts and allowing them to focus more on refining content and ensuring accuracy.

Scenario

One day, Aiysha receives a notification from IntelliWrite suggesting major revisions to the technical specifications for a new smart TV. The AI system’s recommendation includes rewriting sections of the manual to improve clarity and streamline information based on user feedback data. However, Aiysha notices that some of the changes suggested by IntelliWrite remove important context and technical details that she believes are crucial for users’ understanding.

Aiysha is concerned. While IntelliWrite’s recommendations aim to improve readability and user experience, she knows that the nuances and specific technical details are important for the target audience, which includes engineers and advanced users. Additionally, Aiysha values the quality control process that ensures documents are accurate, complete, and reliable. She worries that over-reliance on AI could compromise the company’s high standards.

Options for Aiysha

  • Follow AI Recommendations: Aiysha could implement IntelliWrite’s recommendations fully, trusting the AI’s data-driven approach to improve documents. This approach may enhance efficiency but risks compromising quality control if the AI’s suggestions are not thoroughly vetted.
  • Do a Human Review: Aiysha could conduct a thorough review of the AI’s suggested revisions, making selective changes that enhance readability while preserving important technical details. This method ensures quality control but may reduce the efficiency gains provided by the AI.
  • Seek a Balanced Approach: Aiysha could integrate both AI insights and human judgment, involving her team in the decision-making process to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the revisions. This approach aims to balance efficiency and quality control.
  • Improve AI System: Aiysha could work with the AI development team to enhance IntelliWrite’s algorithms, ensuring it better understands the importance of technical details and context in documentation. Enhancing the AI could improve both efficiency and adherence to quality control standards.
  • Gather More User Feedback: Aiysha could gather additional feedback from users about the current documents and the proposed AI-generated changes to make a more informed decision. This feedback can help ensure that the AI‘s output aligns with user expectations and quality standards.

Issues to Consider as You Decide What Aiysha Should Do

  • AI and Quality Control: How can Aiysha ensure that IntelliWrite’s recommendations meet the stringent quality control standards of TechTV? What measures can be put in place to verify the AI’s output? This involves establishing robust review processes to catch any errors or omissions made by the AI.
  • Human Judgment vs. AI Recommendations: To what extent should Aiysha rely on the AI’s recommendations when revising technical documents? What role should human judgment play in this process to maintain quality control? Balancing the strengths of AI with the expertise of human writers is critical.
  • Technical Accuracy: How can Aiysha ensure that IntelliWrite’s recommendations do not compromise the technical accuracy and completeness of the technical specifications? Ensuring that the AI’s suggestions are accurate and reliable is paramount for maintaining quality control.
  • User-Centered Documentation: How should Aiysha balance the AI’s data-driven approach with the need to address the specific needs and preferences of the target audience? Ensuring that documents meet user expectations is a crucial aspect of quality control.
  • Continuous Improvement: How can Aiysha and her team continuously improve the AI system’s performance to better support their technical writing efforts and quality control requirements? Continuous improvement processes should be implemented to keep enhancing both AI capabilities and quality control mechanisms.

Conclusion

What’s more important: efficiency or accuracy and quality? Aiysha must decide. Your group’s discussion should explore the complexities of integrating AI into technical writing, considering the balance between technological advancements and quality control.

Assessment

I will mark your participation in this Discussion Complete (or Incomplete) after the end of the Grace Period passes and I confirm that you have made at least two posts (required: one response to the original scenario, and a second in response to others in your class). Allow me several days to read and mark all your posts.