Virtual: Rethinking traditional approaches to release notes

Rethinking traditional approaches to release notes: A new method using AI and file diffs

While exploring use cases for AI in writing documentation, Tom found a method that fundamentally changed one of his core documentation processes: generating release notes from file diffs. Most of the time, writing release notes meant tracking down engineers to understand upcoming changes.

He realized he could skip much of that work and find most changes himself by analyzing file diffs with AI tools.

This practice led to several key insights:

• Engineers aren’t telling technical writers half of the changes they’re making. This contributes to documentation drift and outdated content.
• Analyzing file diffs expands my influence within the release process. He now possesses a broader view of the release than the product's technical leads, increasing his value in the release process.
• AI tools are good at translating file diffs into clear information. This makes file diffs a valuable resource, not just for release notes, but also for documenting any changes engineers make.

In this presentation, Tom will show his approach to creating release notes using file diffs and AI. You’ll learn how to use AI tools to change your approach to documentation.

------------------------------

About Tom Johnson

Tom Johnson is a senior technical writer based in Seattle. He’s the author of the blog idratherbewriting.com, where he’s written extensively about how to use AI with technical documentation.