Invasion of the Unicorns: Why Technical Communication is the New Center of the AI Universe
- Presentation
- Leadership, Careers & Project Management
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Greg Fazekas
- Cloudera
Contents
For years, the "unicorns" of Technical Communicators were outliers: rare professionals who could navigate deep technical architectures while maintaining a fierce commitment to the humans (end users or executives alike). In 2026, we are unicorns no longer; we are critical assets in the AI revolution.
As organizations move beyond the hype phase of AI, they are discovering a hard truth: AI as a tool is only as good as the context it understands, and AI as a technology is only as useful as the user’s understanding of it.
In this session is aimed at TCs interested in leadership, AI strategy, or career expansion, I’ll explore the "Invasion of the Unicorns:" the movement of TCs from the end of the development cycle into the heart of the AI universe, from the lab to the executive strategy. I will discuss how TCs can and are populating spaces previously inaccessible to them to ensure that empathy is treated not as a soft skill, but as both a data quality metric and strategic business edge.
Takeaways
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How to collaborate with decision-makers and establish our value.
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How to use our skills to measurably improve AI accuracy and increase ROI.
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Identifying and filling the "Unicorn Gap."
Prior knowledge
To get the most out of this session, attendees should have:
- Foundational TC Experience: A solid understanding of the traditional technical documentation lifecycle, particularly the transition from development to release.
- Information Architecture Basics: Familiarity with how information is structured, as this forms the basis for the transition "from Writer to Architect".
- General AI Awareness: A baseline understanding of current AI trends—specifically the "hype phase"—and an interest in how AI tools utilize context and data.
- Strategic Interest: This session is designed for those looking to move into leadership roles, AI strategy, or broad career expansion. No deep coding or data science background is required, but a "fierce commitment" to user-centricity is essential.