S6E3 Beyond Documentation: Building Knowledge Systems for AI

Inside Tech Comm with Zohra Mutabanna

What happens when AI meets technical writing? It's not the end of the profession—it's an evolution that opens exciting new possibilities for skilled communicators.
Kartika Raman, Lead Technical Writer at Salesforce, shares her journey from database administration to technical writing and now to the cutting edge of AI content creation. She explains how the fundamental nature of AI systems—probabilistic rather than deterministic—creates both challenges and opportunities for documentation professionals.
As content creators, we already possess the valuable skills needed for success in the AI era. The ability to organize information, provide context, and communicate clearly becomes even more crucial when creating content that both humans and AI systems will consume. As Kartika explains, "We're not just writing, we're developing knowledge systems" that enable AI to generate accurate, relevant responses.
We explore emerging roles in areas of prompt engineering, ontology development, and content design. These are skill sets that technical writers should develop as they adapt to changing technology landscapes. Focusing on continuous learning, experimentation with AI tools, and maintaining critical thinking skills are essential for future-proofing our careers.
While AI will undoubtedly change the nature of technical writing jobs, it will also create new opportunities. The stakes for creating trustworthy, accurate content have never been higher. By embracing AI literacy and expanding beyond traditional documentation roles, technical communicators can position themselves at the forefront of this transformation.
Ready to adapt, create, and thrive with AI?

Guest Bio

Karthika Raman is a Lead Technical Writer at Salesforce, where she plays a pivotal role on the AI Content Experience team. With a career that began in database administration, Karthika transitioned into technical writing, leveraging her deep domain expertise to simplify and communicate complex systems. Her journey has included impactful roles at Microsoft, Tableau, and Salesforce, and today she helps shape how enterprise AI technologies are documented and understood.

At Salesforce, Karthika focuses on creating content that supports both human users and AI systems, emphasizing clarity, context, and trustworthiness. She is part of the team that develops content to explain AI and agentic technologies Salesforce creates. She is passionate about evolving the role of technical communicators in the age of AI, exploring emerging areas such as prompt engineering, ontology development, and content design. Her work reflects a commitment to continuous learning, innovation, and the strategic use of AI tools to build scalable knowledge systems.

Show Credits

• Intro and outro music - Az
• Audio engineer - RJ Basilio

Kapitel

1. Welcome to Inside TechCom (00:00:00)

2. Meet Kartika Raman (00:00:33)

3. Evolution of AI and Technical Writing (00:04:35)

4. New Skills for Technical Writers (00:09:55)

5. AI Literacy and Knowledge Systems (00:17:07)

6. Future-Proofing Documentation Teams (00:28:49)

7. Final Thoughts and Encouragement (00:39:04)

8. Episode Closing (00:43:20)