Tom Johnson argues technical writers will be augmented by AI rather than replaced, presenting a cyborg model of human-machine collaboration.

Johnson gave a presentation on March 30, 2026, at Louisiana Tech University outlining a cyborg model of technical writing in which AI augments rather than replaces human tech writers through continuous back-and-forth interaction.

In the cyborg model, writers and machines engage in partnership where the machine handles analytical processing and pattern recognition while humans provide steering, review, and verification. Johnson notes that automating single complex processes end-to-end remains elusive because issues early in an instruction can corrupt later iterations without human verification at each step.

Johnson observes that at his workplace, almost no tech writers have automated complex processes using AI, and his own experience shows AI can only automate granular subtasks within larger processes rather than resolve complex bugs or tackle sophisticated projects independently.