Abstract
This chapter explores the shifting ethical dynamics in technical communication, with a specific focus on the implications of generative AI in industry practices. After exploring the historical focus of ethics in technical communication, the author considers how generative AI tools will shape the production and use of technical content and what ethical questions may emerge. The chapter not only delves into the potential impact of writer-facing and user-facing AI tools but also engages with the broader ethical implications these technologies bring to the field. This chapter highlights how these tools are transforming the way technical content is created and consumed, prompting a reevaluation of existing ethical norms and practices, and paying particular attention to emergent ethical dilemmas that arise around the redistribution of labor, accountability for consequences, and potential inequities associated with the creation and widespread use of large language models. The chapter ends by emphasizing the need for proactive and informed engagement with these emerging technologies and subsequently suggests ways technical communication practitioners, researchers, and teachers can engage generative AI in ways that align with ethical and social justice frameworks.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Routledge Handbook of Ethics in Technical and Professional Communication |
| Publisher | Taylor and Francis |
| Pages | 472-480 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781040314029 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781032561967 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2025 selection and editorial matter, Clarence Wenfeng Wang; individual chapters, the contributors. All rights reserved.